1972 O-Pee-Chee CFL Granville Liggins #64 All-Star Calgary Stampeders

Description

1972 O-Pee-Chee CFL Granville Liggins #64 All-Star Calgary Stampeders The 1972 O-Pee-Chee CFL Granville Liggins #64 All-Star Calgary Stampeders card features one of the most athletic and adaptable linemen of his era in a bold portrait made for vintage display. Liggins appears in Calgary's red number 51 uniform, surrounded by the bright green team frame and yellow typography that make O-Pee-Chee's 1972 CFL release instantly recognizable. This card belongs to the 132-card Canadian set issued after Calgary's 1971 Grey Cup championship, and it connects a major college football name with a memorable chapter in Stampeders history. Nicknamed Granny, Liggins became a two-sport standout at the University of Oklahoma and was the first Sooners athlete to earn All-American recognition in two different sports, football and wrestling. His quick first step made him an exceptional nose guard, and he finished seventh in voting for the 1967 Heisman Trophy, an unusual achievement for an interior defender. Selected by the Detroit Lions in the 1968 NFL draft, Liggins instead joined Calgary and played for the Stampeders from 1968 through 1972. He began as a defensive tackle alongside stars such as John Helton and Wayne Harris, then shifted to offensive guard, where his speed overcame the size expectations of the position. Liggins earned CFL All-Star status at guard in 1971 and Western honours in 1971 and 1972. He played in Calgary's 1968 and 1970 Grey Cup losses before helping the club beat Toronto 14 to 11 in the 1971 championship, ending a 23-year title drought. After Calgary, he continued with Toronto and earned another CFL All-Star selection in 1976 after returning to defence. The reverse is a Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual text back with English and French biography panels, not a puzzle back. It lists card number 64, his Oklahoma background and a cartoon referencing his Granny nickname and ever-present sunglasses. The photographed card has rich red and green colour with a strong central portrait, but displays lightly rounded corner tips, a rough factory-cut upper edge, minor chipping along portions of the white border and scattered small white specks on the jersey and image area. No obvious major crease, long wrinkle, writing, pinhole, tear or missing paper is visible, although sleeve glare can conceal very fine surface marks. Centering is serviceable, with the green frame sitting slightly high and showing a modest lateral shift. The back is evenly age toned and has small corner touches, mild edge rub and a few tiny print flecks while the blue, green and black text remains clear. These visible flaws justify a conservative EX 5 raw estimate rather than an Excellent-Mint call. The card still presents very well for its age and offers an appealing combination of college All-American history, CFL all-star credentials and 1971 Grey Cup significance. It is a smart addition for Calgary collectors, Oklahoma Sooners fans or anyone assembling the colourful 1972 O-Pee-Chee CFL set. Grade Estimate: EX 5