Raiders’ Davis Pulls It Off and Comes to Terms With Jackson, a 7th-Round Pick

George Blanda? Jim Plunkett? Lyle Alzado? All of Al Davis’ old miracles pale before the one that now stands trembling on the brink.

Bo Jackson announced Tuesday that he has agreed to terms with the Raiders.

Those terms are not known, though the Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser, quoting an associate of Jackson’s lawyer, says it’s a simple $1 million-a-year deal. It is thought to be long term, Jackson having told intimates that he was about to sign a multi-year contract.

Of course, there is his baseball career, such as it is now, with his Royal teammates criticizing him and a Thursday night reunion pending with his old hometown fans. In Kansas City, Bo’s new team is as popular as the Red Army.

New can’t-miss date on the Raider schedule: Dec. 13--Chiefs, at Kansas City.

Jackson continues to insist that the Royals and baseball take precedence. For example, does he see himself ever making a final choice between the two sports?

“I made my choice last year,” Jackson said. “I’m going to make a career out of baseball. Baseball is priority No. 1.”

Could he imagine the day when football was No. 1?

“It was.”

Can it be again?

“Not in this life.”

To the Raiders, only one thing really matters: If he ever leaves baseball, he’s theirs. Davis stole the rights to the most coveted college halfback of this decade out from under the nose of 27 other football teams with a No. 7 draft pick and is now about to sign him.

What is there to do in the rest of the world but cry, cry, cry?

“They robbed the bank at Fort Knox, that’s what they did,” said Cowboy personnel director Gil Brandt from Dallas. “This will probably be the greatest seventh-round pick in history.

“Obviously Al is enjoying this. Everybody’s calling everybody else to find out what the deal is, how he did it. My hat’s off to him. I was convinced the guy was a baseball player.”

Said Dick Steinberg, personnel director of the New England Patriots: “We had him (Jackson) on the board. We talked to his people and they told us he fancied himself a baseball player.”

How did Davis do it? The Raiders are famous for scheming and researching. The draft of Napoleon McCallum, for example, is thought to have been based less on wishful thinking than by a tip.

This one? Around the league, the first guess is that Davis couldn’t have been too certain. If he had been, the theory goes, he’d have used a higher pick.

How did he do it? For the moment, it appears that Davis just sat down and out-thought everybody.

“All the people in the NFL called around draft time to ask if Bo was happy in baseball,” said Jackson’s lawyer, Richard Woods. “Al never called.

“We never talked until two weeks ago. But he knew I’d read his quotes (inviting Jackson to join the Raiders after the baseball season) in the newspapers. He’s shrewd.

“Did the Raiders have any way of knowing this was possible? I think they had Al Davis’ insight into Bo from reading about him, to know that Bo loves challenges. And that Bo is motivated by challenges. And that Bo had said he loved both sports. And that’s all Al told me he had.”

Now Davis has less cash and one more phenom, if for the moment, only a part-time phenom.

The Royals’ season will end Oct. 4, the day the Raiders play their fourth game. If the Royals don’t make the playoffs, Bo says the first thing he’ll do is . . .

Come back here and rest?

“As long as I need, really,” Jackson said. “Right now I’d have to say two-three weeks.”

Assuming another two weeks to practice and the Raiders would have him for seven or eight games, half the season.

This was another of Jackson’s madcap appearances before a microphone. He started by joking that he’d just talked to his “media consultant, Ollie North.

“He told me to answer the following questions in this order,” Jackson said. “ ‘I love my country. The documents have been shredded and I know nothing of this. All of my actions came from a higher authority.’ ”

Having disposed of current events, he turned to more relevant fare. How can football be a hobby if he’s being paid so much?

“It is a hobby. I wish I could make money from fishing, also.”

With all those football players bristling because he called their game a hobby, does he have any regrets?

“I can’t do anything about it,” he said. “That was my feeling. I can’t express what everybody wants. I say what Bo feels and what Bo feels only.”

How about the people--approximately 99% of the population--who say he can’t handle both?

“I use that as fuel for my fire. Then I go out and prove them wrong. Every time.”

Why did he swear he’d never play football again when he signed his baseball contract?

“Simply because at the time, what good would it have done to talk about it, when I’m out there, trying to knock the crap out of a curveball?”

Weren’t his Royal teammates mad?

“Before anybody else knew about this, my teammates knew. There’s nothing I have to hide. They accept what I’m doing. They’re all glad that I’m trying to do it, simply because I hopefully will be the first person to do both. Plus they all want tickets to the games.”

Weren’t Willie Wilson and Frank White really mad?

“Well, they were. Simply because at the time they were coming up, they didn’t have the opportunities I have. . . . But we had a big meeting and everybody’s happy for me. And I’m glad they are. Because the last thing we need on the team is a controversy right now.”

Thank goodness they don’t have one, then.

From El Segundo, Tom Flores told of his delight. He hadn’t figured out all the angles but he knew he was happy.

“When we drafted him, we felt that if anybody could play two sports, he could be that person because of his unique talents,” Flores said.

“If a person can contribute, there’s no question that he’ll be welcomed by everyone. Bo is a tremendously talented player. It’s not like he’s coming from doing nothing. It’s a different game, but baseball requires you to be in shape.”

In the Best Western Convention Center, Jackson took his last few questions.

“What are you going to do with the five weeks between seasons, Bo?” someone asked. “Arena football?”