Dr. Linda Jackson is the wife of sports legend Bo Jackson, the only athlete in history to be named an All-Star in both Major League Baseball and the NFL.
While Bo became one of the biggest names in American sports, Dr. Linda built an accomplished career in counseling psychology and has remained a steady presence throughout their decades-long marriage.
The couple has been together since the 1980s and has raised three children while largely keeping their family life out of the public eye.
Dr. Linda Jackson’s Background
Born Linda Garrett, Dr. Linda Jackson grew up in a very different environment from her future husband. While Bo Jackson often spoke about a challenging childhood, Dr. Linda focused on academics and the arts.
As a young student, she enjoyed reading and studied both the violin and clarinet. Her dedication to education would later shape her professional career.
Despite being married to one of America’s most recognizable athletes, Dr. Linda has consistently maintained a private lifestyle and rarely seeks public attention.
Dr. Linda Jackson’s Education and Career
Education has played a major role in Dr. Linda Jackson’s life.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and health sciences from Tuskegee University before continuing her studies at Auburn University. There, she received a master’s degree in counseling psychology and later pursued doctoral studies in the same field.
Dr. Linda eventually earned her doctorate and completed research examining the relationship between substance abuse and sexual abuse among women.
Her professional career centered on mental health services. She worked as supervisor of the residential children’s program at the Mobile County Community Mental Health Center in Alabama and later served as a counseling psychologist in a hospital setting.
Years later, Bo Jackson revealed that Dr. Linda was working as a brain assessment therapist at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.
Although she became known to many as Bo Jackson’s wife, Dr. Linda emphasized maintaining her own identity throughout her career. In a 1993 interview with the Chicago Tribune, she said:
“I am Linda. I use my maiden name. It’s on my letterhead. I’m Linda Garrett Jackson. That’s who I am. And I define me.”
How Did Dr. Linda Jackson Meet Bo Jackson?
Dr. Linda Jackson met Bo Jackson while both were attending Auburn University in the mid-1980s.
At the time, Dr. Linda was pursuing advanced studies, while Bo was emerging as one of college football’s biggest stars. What began as a friendship developed into a serious relationship.
During Bo’s Heisman Trophy-winning season in 1985, the couple learned they were expecting their first child. Dr. Linda later recalled Bo’s reaction:
“Bo said, ‘Let’s just get married now.’ I said: ‘No, no, no, I don’t want you to marry me because I’m pregnant.’ Bo said, ‘I want to marry you because I love you, not because you’re pregnant.'”
The couple married on Sept. 5, 1987, beginning a partnership that has lasted nearly four decades.
Their Marriage and Family
Bo and Dr. Linda Jackson have been married for almost 40 years and share three children: sons Garrett and Nicholas, and daughter Morgan.
One notable family milestone came on July 13, 1986, when Bo hit his first Major League Baseball home run on the same day Garrett was born.
As Bo’s football and baseball careers expanded, Dr. Linda temporarily stepped back from her own professional ambitions to focus on raising their children and supporting the family. She explained that decision by saying:
“I spend a lot of time helping with his career. Bo’s career will be much shorter than mine. I know I’ll have plenty of time.”
The couple also launched Bo Jackson Enterprises in 1992, with Dr. Linda serving as vice president.
Today, the Jackson family continues to value privacy. While Bo Jackson remains one of the most celebrated athletes in sports history, Dr. Linda Jackson’s accomplishments in education, psychology, and family life have been an important part of the couple’s enduring story.
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