Every Apr. 15, Major League Baseball pays a very special tribute to Jackie Robinson.

On the anniversary of the day the all-star Brooklyn Dodgers second baseman broke the colour barrier in baseball, all players on all MLB teams wear Robinson’s No. 42.

It’s a terrific and appropriate gesture for a man who had such an impact on the sport, but the significance of the number goes beyond baseball and has a very special connection to the Calgary Stampeders.

For example, current Stamps linebacker Deron Mayo wears No. 42 as a tribute to two athletes he admires — Robinson as well as former San Francisco 49ers defensive back Ronnie Lott.

It’s a testament to the lasting impact of Robinson’s legacy that Mayo chooses to honour a man who played his final major-league game more than three decades before Mayo was born.

But there’s an even stronger Stamps connection to Robinson and No. 42.

Prior to playing for the Dodgers, Robinson was a multi-sport star at the University of California, Los Angeles. One of his football teammates on the Bruins was Woody Strode, who became a trailblazer in his own right.

In 1946, the year before Robinson debuted for the Dodgers, the National Football League’s Los Angeles Rams made history by signing Strode and UCLA teammate Kenny Washington. Prior to that, there had not been a black player in the NFL since 1933.

Two years after joining the Rams, Strode signed with the Stampeders and was a West all-star on the 1948 team that won the first Grey Cup in franchise history and completed what is still the only undefeated season by a CFL club.

The number worn by Strode during his time with the Red and White? That would be No. 42.

Whether you’re talking about baseball history or Stamps history, it’s a very special number.