1972 O-Pee-Chee Leon McQuay #30 Toronto Argonauts

Description

1972 O-Pee-Chee Leon McQuay #30 Toronto Argonauts Explosive speed and an unforgettable place in Toronto football history make the 1972 O-Pee-Chee Leon McQuay #30 Toronto Argonauts card one of the most evocative player cards in this group. McQuay is pictured in uniform number 24 carrying the football, framed by the set’s vivid red border and turquoise team lettering. The slightly dark, atmospheric photograph is characteristic of this 132-card Canadian issue and adds to its unmistakable early-1970s appearance. O-Pee-Chee organized the set by CFL team, then completed it with fourteen Pro Action cards and a checklist, all in what became the company’s final dedicated CFL release. For an Argonauts collector, McQuay’s card represents the electrifying 1971 team that returned Toronto to the Grey Cup after a nineteen-year absence. For a broader football collector, it tells the story of a small-college sensation who became a CFL star before continuing his career in the NFL. Known as “X-Ray” and “All the Way” McQuay, Leon McQuay was a rare blend of acceleration, lateral movement and power. At the University of Tampa, where he was the first Black athlete to receive a football scholarship, McQuay earned small-college All-America recognition after rushing for 1,362 yards and scoring 22 touchdowns in 1970. He left school early to join Toronto and immediately transformed the Argonauts’ offence. In twelve games during his 1971 rookie season, he rushed for 977 yards on only 138 attempts, an outstanding 7.1-yard average, while adding 429 receiving yards. His nine combined rushing and receiving touchdowns helped Toronto post the CFL’s best record and reach the Grey Cup. McQuay was selected as a CFL All-Star and named the East Division’s Most Outstanding Player, finishing as runner-up for the league’s top-player award. The rain-soaked 1971 championship game remains one of the most discussed contests in Argonaut history, and McQuay’s association with it has made him an enduring part of Canadian football conversation. He followed with 745 rushing yards and 418 receiving yards in 1972, later played in the NFL for the New York Giants, New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints, and returned to Toronto in 1977. This original card is ungraded and has been examined from the supplied front-and-back scans while still inside a protective pocket page. The front has strong red and turquoise colour, and McQuay’s figure remains distinct despite the intentionally dark or underexposed period image. Centering is reasonably balanced, with a slight lateral shift and a small vertical registration difference in the outer white borders that do not distract from the composition. All four corners show light softening; the lower corners appear a touch more rounded than the upper pair. Fine rough-cut fibres and tiny white touches are visible along the red frame and outer edges, especially on the left and lower areas. A few pale flecks and short fine lines can be seen in the photograph and sky, but several align with marks on the plastic page and cannot be assigned confidently to the card. The reverse displays even cream-coloured age toning, clear blue-and-green ink and minor perimeter wear. One or two tiny back specks are present, but there is no obvious paper loss. No definite crease, wrinkle, tear, writing, pinhole or heavy stain is visible from either side. The correct reverse is a Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual English/French player-biography back describing McQuay’s speed and early career. It is not a puzzle back. The dark photo should be understood as a known visual trait of many 1972 O-Pee-Chee CFL cards rather than automatically treated as fading or damage. Raw Grade Estimate: VG-EX