Former Sports Star Bo Jackson To Open New Bank
Why
He always said he knew almost everything and maybe he really does! Former NFL football and Major League baseball player Bo Jackson, 46, is opening up his own bank in the southwest suburbs. Of course, he's a sports legend on the baseball diamond and the football field, but as CBS 2's Jim Williams shows us, it turns out Jackson knows banking, too. "One thing that I must stress - I'm not the only owner of this bank," said Jackson. The former White Sox slugger, whose given name is Vincent Edward Jackson, is backing a new chartered bank in southwest suburban Burr Ridge. The Burr Ridge Bank and Trust was to formally open its doors with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, with Jackson present. Jackson is a longtime businessman, but he's now entering an industry that has been deeply troubled in recent months. So why did Jackson agree to be a director of this brand new suburban bank? "We have no type of debt, like all the other banks. We're a small community bank and one thing we all decided, is that if we are going to do a bank in our community, it needs to be owned by the people who live in the community," Jackson said. "This is home. This is where we are comfortable," said Jackson who, with his wife, raised his children in Burr Ridge. Comfort is not what Jackson is looking for at the bank though. "We interviewed Bo. He was very committed to growing the bank and being part of our organization, not just a name," said Roy Thygesen, CEO and president of the bank. But what a name, still, even if he has little interest in describing his athletic exploits. "What I've read about you would indicate you're a guy who lives in the present, with an eye toward the future. You don't have any desire to relive the glory days. Would that be accurate," CBS 2's Jim Williams asked Jackson. "You just won the lotto," Jackson responded, laughing. Jackson played football for the then-Los Angeles Raiders from 1987 to 1990, while playing baseball for the Kansas City Royals. He played for the White Sox in the 1991 and 1993 seasons, and finished his career with the California Angels, as they were then known, before retiring in 1994. Jackson was the only player to be named to the NFL Pro Bowl and to appear in baseball's All-Star Game. He injured his hip playing for the Raiders in 1991, and had hip replacement the following year. The sports star gained national recognition when he appeared in a series of "Bo Knows" commercials for an athletic shoe bearing his name, showcasing his talents real and acted. Since retiring, Jackson has been a businessman living in the Chicago suburbs and has lectured children about health and nutrition issues. Jackson knows one sport today. "I'm crushing golf balls, when I hit it straight. I'm enjoying being an employer," said Jackson. Jackson also owns an enormous athletic complex in the suburbs, among other businesses. He seems to have a happy life. He's been married a long time; his children are grown and two of them are attending Auburn University, where Jackson won the Heisman Trophy, as college football's best player.
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References:
http://cbs2chicago.com/sports/bo.jackson.bank.2.990184.html,http://news.lalate.com/2009/04/22/bo-jackson-banking/,http://www.windycitizen.com/chicago/business/2009/04/21/bo-knows-banking
