Raiders Legend Bo Jackson Says He Helped Pay for Uvalde Victims' Funerals

Former NFL Pro Bowler and MLB All-Star Bo Jackson was among the donors who helped pay for the funerals of the 19 children and two teachers who were killed in May's mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Texas.

"I don't know if it's because I'm getting old," Jackson told Jim Vertuno of The Associated Press. "It's just not right for parents to bury their kids. It's just not right.

"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."

Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott previously announced the $175,000 donation was made anonymously. Jackson made the donation with a friend but did not disclose the name of the other person.

"We didn't want media," Jackson said. "No one knew we were there."

Jackson, who is from Birmingham, Alabama, said he used to drive through Uvalde, Texas on a regular basis when traveling to visit a friend's ranch. The city was rocked when 18-year-old Salvador Rolando Ramos opened fire at the elementary school, killing 21 people, including 19 children, and wounding 18 more.

The shooting led to a national outcry for stricter gun laws and was shrouded in controversy amid the inaction of the Uvalde police department. Uvalde School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo and acting police chief Lt. Mariano Pargas were both placed on leave in the fallout as investigators continue to probe the police response.

"The last thing you want to hear is there's an active shooter in your child's school," Jackson, who is a parent and grandparent, said. “It's happening everywhere now. ... It's the children. ... It's the children. ... It's the children. If it doesn't bother you, something's wrong with you."