Bo Jackson revealed to be previously anonymous donor who gave $170,000 for funeral expenses for victims of Uvalde shooting

• Former NFL and MLB superstar Bo Jackson donated $170,000 to help cover the costs of funeral expenses for victims of the Uvalde school shooting.
• Jackson's donation had been anonymous until a report from the Associated Press.

Former NFL and MLB superstar Bo Jackson helped pay for the funeral expenses of the victims of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas with a previously anonymous donation.

Jackson opened up about the donation while speaking with the Associated Press on Wednesday.

"I don't know if it's because I'm getting old," Jackson told the AP. "It's just not right for parents to bury their kids. It's just not right."

Jackson, along with a close friend who remains anonymous, flew to Uvalde three days after the shooting and briefly met with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, leaving a check for $170,000 to help cover the costs of funerals for the 19 children and two teachers killed in the shooting.

"I know every family there probably works their butts off just to do what they do," Jackson told the AP. "The last thing they needed was to shell out thousands of dollars for something that never should have happened."

Jackson has frequently stopped in Uvalde, often for groceries or a bite to eat on the way to a friend's ranch, he told the AP. So he was particularly moved upon seeing the events of May 24 unfold, given his connection to the town of just 16,000.

"The true spirit of our nation is Americans lifting up one another in times of need and hardship," Abbott said of Jackson's donation. "In a truly selfless act, Bo covered all funeral expenses for the victims' families so they would have one less thing to worry about as they grieved."

Jackson put out a call to action on the day of the shooting via his Twitter feed.

"The last thing you want to hear is there's an active shooter in your child's school," Jackson told the AP. "It's happening everywhere now."