Before he became an American and Dodger legend -- he was a Bruin.
The movie is being released this weekend. As noted by the Washington Post42 - celebrating one of the greatest Bruins of all time - out in the theaters today.:
It's a movie that first lady Michelle Obama says every American should see, and it premieres Thursday night here.
Because before Jackie Robinson donned a baseball jersey with the number 42 for the Brooklyn Dodgers - becoming the first African American player in the major leagues - he played for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues.
That's why the new movie about Robinson - titled "42″ for the number that has since been retired from all major league baseball teams in his honor - will premiere tonight in Kansas City. (Premiere is an odd term these days; I always thought it meant "first," but the film, written and directed by Academy Award winner Brian Helgeland, also had premieres in Los Angeles and New York, and it was screened for President Obama and Robinson's widow, Rachel Robinson, last week.)
Just another reminder why all of us are privileged to call ourselves alums, students, fans of the greatest University in the nation.
Read up more on Jackie by going here, here and here.
Of course there is nothing about this on UCLA's official site (except for a tweet or two). Guess not a surprise from the worst run athletic department in America.
GO BRUINS.