SOLD 1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL Al Marcelin #84 Ottawa Rough Riders All-Canadian

Description

1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL Al Marcelin #84 Ottawa Rough Riders All-Canadian Own a piece of Ottawa's championship secondary with this 1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL Al Marcelin #84 Ottawa Rough Riders All-Canadian card, featuring one of the most electrifying defensive backs of the CFL's classic era. The 1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL set — 132 cards with unmistakable bright red borders, printed exclusively in Canada — is the era's definitive issue, and Marcelin's card sits in a loaded Ottawa run that documents the roster bridging the club's 1969 and 1973 Grey Cup victories. Al Marcelin's rise was meteoric. A 6'1", 190-pound import from Parsons College, he starred in the Continental League, earning All-Star honours in 1968-69 while leading the league in punt returns, as this card's back details. Ottawa signed him on the strong recommendation of coach George Brancto, who had coached him in Orange County, California — and the gamble paid off immediately. The O-Pee-Chee cartoon proudly announces that Al made the All-Canadian team in 1970, his breakout season in the Rough Riders secondary. Marcelin went on to become a mainstay of Ottawa's defence and part of the 1973 Grey Cup championship team, and cards of standout Black stars from this era carry growing historical significance among CFL collectors. The reverse is a genuine Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back with English and French biographies and the "Printed in Canada" imprint; the 1971 CFL set used these biography backs rather than puzzle backs. The front is a beauty for a mid-grade card, with a striking twilight-stadium portrait, deep photo colour, and strong red borders. Centering is approximately 55/45 side-to-side. The corners show light whitening at all four points with a slightly softer touch at the bottom-right, and there is faint, scattered edge chipping along the left border. The back displays warm, even toning with fully legible bilingual text and no writing, stains, or paper flaws. We detect no creases, wrinkles, or surface indentations in either scan. As always with red-border 1971s, we grade to the conservative side, since border chips that seem trivial raw are penalized heavily by professional graders. For vintage CFL set-builders, All-Canadian collectors, and Rough Riders devotees, this 1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL Al Marcelin #84 Ottawa Rough Riders All-Canadian single combines a great story, a great photo, and honest mid-grade condition at an accessible price. Grade Estimate: EX 5