NFL and Major League Baseball great Bo Jackson in Chicago, Illinois, in April. Photo: Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Sports great Bo Jackson has revealed that he helped pay for the funerals of the victims of the elementary school mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, AP reported Thursday.
Driving the news: The former MLB and NFL star told AP he and a friend flew to Uvalde three days after the 19 children and two teachers were killed in May's Robb Elementary School massacre and offered to pay for "all funeral expenses," giving Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) a check for $170,000.
- Jackson said during his interview with AP that they "didn't want media" attention, so no one knew they were there and Abbott announced the check as an anonymous donation at a May 27 news conference.
What he's saying: "I don't know if it's because I’m getting old," said 59-year-old Jackson, who had often driven through Uvalde on his way to visit a friend's ranch but other wise had no connection to the city. "It's just not right" for parents to bury their kids," he said.
- "I know every family there probably works their butts off just to do what they do. ... The last thing they needed was to shell out thousands of dollars for something that never should have happened," Jackson added.