Sports legend Bo Jackson, above, will lead a team of sports celebrities including Cam Newton, Cornelius Bennett and Lance Armstrong on a bicycle trip to raise money for Alabama tornado victims.

When sports legend Bo Jackson had the idea to ride a bike across Alabama to raise funds for tornado relief, Jackson recalls his wife Linda looking at him with an expression that said, “Are you crazy?”

She was reacting to the length of the ride — about 300 miles over four days — but Jackson couldn’t get the idea out of his head.

“I knew it was going to eat at me like battery acid until I did something about it,” he said in a telephone interview Friday.

Jackson, who lives in Illinois with his wife and their children, felt compelled to do something to help victims of the devastating tornado outbreak of April 27, 2011.

“This happened in my home state. I am an Alabamian. It affected me a great deal,” he said.

Jackson described the scenes of the devastation on the news as “surreal.” Sixty-two tornadoes struck across the state that day, including seven in Limestone County. Four people died locally, and 247 died statewide.  

“I thought, ‘This is not supposed to happen to us; it’s not supposed to happen here,’” he said.

Soon, the Bessemer native who was the first athlete to play on all-star teams in two major professional sports, had a sponsor — Nike.

Before long, more celebrity athletes — Lance Armstrong, Cam Newton — and sports sponsors — Hibbetts, ESPN — were on board and Bo Bikes Bama became a reality.

He insists, however, it is not celebrities but ordinary Alabamians who will help reach the goal of raising $1 million for the Governor’s Disaster Relief Fund.

“We can reach that goal if everyone would donate just $1,” Jackson said.

To donate, visit bobikesbama.com.

Although the ride does not come through Limestone County, funds raised will help all Alabamians. Limestone County was in the path of the EF5 twister that struck more than 700 homes here and about 300 in Madison County. A total of 78 people were killed along the 106-mile path of that one tornado.

The ride will begin April 24 in the small town of Henagar in northeastern Alabama, and continue through Guntersville, Cullman, Jasper, Bessemer and Tuscaloosa.

‘It’s not about War Eagle’

Jackson planned his bike ride to end in Tuscaloosa, home of the University of Alabama and its national championship football team. Although the rivalry between Jackson’s alma mater Auburn University and the University of Alabama has made national news over the past few years because of the actions of a few overzealous fans, Jackson said the destruction in Alabama is “a million times bigger” than any sports rivalry.

“This isn’t about War Eagle or Roll Tide,” he said. “This rivalry is a grain of sand on the beach compared to this.”

The larger fan base at each school has proven time and again that most people are able to keep sports on the field. After an Alabama fan was accused of poisoning the landmark oak trees at Auburn’s Toomer’s Corner in 2010, Alabama fans raised money to try to save them. When Tuscaloosa was so tragically struck on April 27 — 48 residents died, including some Alabama students — Auburn Coach Gene Chizik and student football players went to help with the cleanup, and Auburn fans raised funds to help.

Jackson said the purpose of the bike ride is to foster the pride of Alabamians and to “celebrate the lives” of those who died in the storms.

Also, he hopes the money raised for the disaster fund will ultimately save lives.

“I hope to spearhead a project to build community tornado shelters,” he said. “I am my brothers’ and sisters’ keepers.”

The ride also will help others around the country realize the magnitude of the disaster.

“I want to do anything I can do to make the country more aware of what happened to us,” he said. 

So far, celebrity riders include Jackson’s fellow Auburn graduate and Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton, Armstrong, Cornelius Bennett, Ray Lewis and Ken Griffey Jr.

Jackson cautioned people who come see the riders should realize the event is not an autograph opportunity but a chance to help Alabama.

ESPN will film the ride.

On April 28, the day after the one-year anniversary of the deadly tornadoes, Jackson and crew will ride into Tuscaloosa. He is encouraging anyone who wants to join the ride to meet at a location to be announced on bobikesbama.com about 3.5 miles from the finish line.

“We want to set a world record,” he said. “The more people who come bike with us the better.”

Jackson said he plans to get in touch with Guinness World Record officials and have the event monitored.

In addition, a ceremony will be held at a time to be determined in the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater celebrating the lives of those who died in Alabama on April 27.