1970 O-Pee-Chee Roy Shatzko #53 Edmonton Eskimos EX 5

Description

1970 O-Pee-Chee Roy Shatzko #53 Edmonton Eskimos EX 5 A sturdy raw single for the defensive line shelves, this 1970 O-Pee-Chee Roy Shatzko #53 Edmonton Eskimos EX 5 shows the veteran lineman in his number 55 jersey, hands on knees and ready for the snap beneath a cloudless prairie sky. The sunny stadium backdrop with its Boosters Club signage adds period charm, and the green Edmonton crest completes one of the more characterful cards in the Eskimos subset of the 115 card checklist. Offered as a single listing by Alex Collect, it is an ideal pickup for team collectors and for anyone assembling the 1970 O-Pee-Chee CFL set on a sensible budget without sacrificing eye appeal. O-Pee-Chee built this set as a team by team portrait of the Canadian Football League at the turn of the decade, pairing glossy color fronts with information rich reverses. The back of this card is the classic Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back, not a puzzle back, presenting English and French narratives over a black field with green highlights and a cartoon panel, all printed in Canada during the bilingual enthusiasm that followed the Official Languages Act of 1969. For the Eskimos these were building years, with the Grey Cup drought stretching back to the 1950s, and cards like Shatzko's preserve the roster that held the line until the dynasty arrived. Shatzko came to the Eskimos from the University of British Columbia and settled in as a defensive end and tackle described by his card copy as a steady player and a team leader. The back notes that this is Roy's sixth year as a professional and that he served as the Eskimos player association representative, a role that speaks to the respect he commanded in the clubhouse and among his fellow players. Canadian born linemen like Shatzko were essential to the non-import ratios that shaped CFL roster construction, and his longevity underscores how much coaches valued dependable, unglamorous trench play. the front keeps its gloss and color saturation with light corner wear concentrated at the top right and centering that remains pleasingly balanced, while the bilingual O-Pee-Chee back shows chipping along the left edge and gently worn corners, with no creases, wrinkles, or pen marks visible anywhere in the scans. Given how readily the black back reveals handling, the conservative raw grade estimate is EX 5, an honest and attractive grade for a veteran lineman's card that has survived five decades in one piece. Grade Estimate: EX 5