Bo Jackson Rode 300 Miles Through Tornado Country

Bo Jackson, the Heisman Trophy winner, spent five days in April 2012 doing something no scoreboard counted: riding a bicycle 300 miles across Alabama, a year after tornadoes tore through the state.

Five Days From Henagar to Tuscaloosa

The first Bo Bikes Bama ride started on April 24, 2012, in Henagar, in DeKalb County in northeast Alabama. It was one of the areas the April 27, 2011 tornadoes hit hardest.

About a hundred riders set out with him, including baseball star Ken Griffey Jr. and NBA star Scottie Pippen. The route ran through hard-hit communities and ended in Tuscaloosa on April 28.

Bo rode a different custom carbon-fiber Trek bike each day. The bikes were auctioned to benefit the Alabama Governor's Emergency Relief Fund.

A Ride That Would Not Stop

The one-time trip turned into a yearly event. Bo has said it is not a race. "It is what I call a celebration ride," he said.

Over 14 years, more than 10,750 riders took part, and together they covered nearly 380,000 miles.

What the Money Built

The money went to rebuild homes and to build dozens of community tornado shelters around Alabama, according to ESPN's account of the ride.

The Final Ride in Auburn

The 14th and last Bo Bikes Bama took place in Auburn in 2025. Before 2025, every ride had avoided bad weather. This time rain and a squall line threatened the day, and organizers delayed the start by about 45 minutes.

About 1,300 riders were planned, with a 60-mile loop and a 20-mile ride on the menu. Football stars Desmond Howard and Melvin Gordon were among the celebrities who came.

"Mother Nature don't care if you're yelling 'roll tide' or 'war eagle,'" Bo said of storms.

The ride is over, but Bo told the crowd the giving is not: "I'm not ending the philanthropic things I do for this state." His closing message was simple: "Let's try to put some sunshine in someone else's cloud."