Major League Baseball unilaterally retired the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier in 1947. His alma mater, UCLA has announced that the number 42 will be retired in all aspects of athletics in honor of the 75th anniversary of when he first set foot on campus.
At UCLA, Robinson became the school’s first four letter athlete. He played on the backfield of the UCLA Football team, making the Bruins team one of the first few integrated teams in the College Football. He was also a member of the Men’s Basketball team, the Baseball (of course) team and made his biggest mark in Track and Field, where he won the NCAA Long Jump at the National Track and Field Championships in 1940.
Those currently wearing 42 will be able to keep that number for the duration of their career in UCLA. We would like to commend the institution for this classy move and once again salute the great career of Jackie Robinson.
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