1972 O-Pee-Chee Barry Randall #23 Montreal Alouettes

Description

1972 O-Pee-Chee Barry Randall #23 Montreal Alouettes Linemen cards carry the quiet soul of football collecting, and this 1972 O-Pee-Chee issue rewards the set builder who knows that a completed Alouettes block is impossible without them, making any search for a 1972 O-Pee-Chee Barry Randall #23 Montreal Alouettes card a purposeful hunt rather than a casual pickup. O-Pee-Chee of London, Ontario printed the 1972 CFL set as 132 cards spanning nine clubs, and the Montreal singles wear the powder-blue header band above a studio portrait, here showing Randall in the green jersey with white numeral 55 and the red-striped sleeve stripes of the era. The horizontal reverse, framed in deep blue with a green statistical sidebar and a cartoon panel, delivers the parallel English and French text that identifies the authentic Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back format. The back story casts Randall as another American-trained Canadian, noting that he played under Dave Holmes, who was then head coach at the University of Hawaii, and that Randall was part of the NFL expansion Baltimore Colts taxi squad before bringing his craft north. The text praises how he应 shouldered the unsung half of the front seven duty in yeomanlike fashion, a tribute to the blocking work that protected Montreal quarterbacks during the club's Grey Cup contention years. Chatham, Ontario birthplace details in the green box underline the domestic roots that made Randall valuable under the CFL's import rules, and for collectors assembling the Alouettes team block, his card is one of the scarcer domestic-line-man singles to locate in honest raw condition, especially with the clean bilingual reverse intact. corners show slight fraying at the bottom left with minor whitening, edges carry light chipping along the bottom border, and centering measures approximately 55/45 left to right and 55/45 top to bottom, which is pleasantly balanced for the issue. The reverse shows only light even toning on the tan stock with no stains, creases, wrinkles, or print marks, and the front surface keeps its gloss without scratches visible in the photos. The card is a Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back, not a puzzle back, with both language panels sharp and legible. Balancing the corner fraying against the otherwise tidy centering and clean surface, a conservative raw grade of EX 5 is the fair and marketable call for this example. Grade Estimate: EX 5