1970 O-Pee-Chee Jerry Griffin #51 Bilingual Back Edmonton Eskimos CFL VG-EX 4

Description

1970 O-Pee-Chee Jerry Griffin #51 Bilingual Back Edmonton Eskimos CFL VG-EX 4 Every vintage set builder knows the thrill of finding a second, more affordable copy of a key card, and this 1970 O-Pee-Chee Jerry Griffin single is exactly that: an honestly worn but wholly presentable example of one of the Edmonton Eskimos' most decorated young linebackers. The 1970 O-Pee-Chee CFL release ran 115 cards and borrowed its crisp vertical design from Topps' 1969 American football issue, then made it proudly Canadian with bilingual backs and stadium photography that places each player in the cathedral of the game. Griffin's on-card resume is remarkable for a player of any era: an import product of Southern Methodist University, he captured the Jackie Parker Trophy as the West's outstanding rookie, an award carrying the name of Edmonton's most iconic quarterback, and the reverse cartoon reveals he was the eighth draft choice of the Chicago Bears, a tantalizing NFL detour he traded for the Canadian game. Tasked with calling the defensive signals, Griffin exemplified team leadership at all times and became the voice of the Eskimos defence during a pivotal rebuilding chapter. The reverse is a classic Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back, not a puzzle back, with parallel English and French text, the whimsical green cartoon box, and the PRINTED IN CANADA imprint along the edge, all the authentication markers a careful collector wants to see before buying. expect honest, even wear on this copy, including corner rounding at all four corners, light edge chipping and whitening along the left and bottom borders, minor surface scuffing visible under direct light, and centering near 60/40 left to right, while the reverse shows corresponding border wear but no creases, no wrinkles, no stains, and no writing of any kind. We assign a conservative VG-EX 4, positioning this single as the budget-friendly set slot or type card that frees your budget for the prouder stars of the 1970 O-Pee-Chee CFL checklist. It is also a wonderful starter card for younger collectors, offering a complete and authentic piece of 1970 O-Pee-Chee CFL history at a price that leaves room for the rest of the Eskimos group. The bold red and black name typography, the green EE logo, and the stadium backdrop all reproduce beautifully even on a played copy, so the card displays far better in a sleeve or toploader than its technical grade might suggest to a newcomer reading a number on a label. A copy like this is exactly the one that gets a beloved set finished rather than stalled. Grade Estimate: VG-EX 4