1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL Wayne Giardino #86 Ottawa Rough Riders

Description

1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL Wayne Giardino #86 Ottawa Rough Riders Two-way players were a dying breed by the 1970s, which makes this 1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL Wayne Giardino #86 Ottawa Rough Riders card a genuine character piece from the classic 132-card, red-bordered O-Pee-Chee CFL set. Printed exclusively in Canada by the London, Ontario confectionery giant, the 1971 issue is the definitive card set of the CFL's golden age, and the Ottawa run captures the heart of a roster that won Grey Cups in 1968, 1969, and 1973. Wayne Giardino embodied that Ottawa toughness. A 5'11", 200-pound non-import out of Florida State University, Giardino is listed here at fullback, but as the card back tells it, he quickly established himself as a standout on defence — and in the latter part of the 1969 championship season, coach Frank Clair called upon Wayne to play offence as well, grading his two-way play "A-1 plus, both ways." A converted linebacker who did whatever his team needed, Giardino was part of multiple Grey Cup-winning Ottawa squads and remains a cult favourite among Rough Riders collectors. The O-Pee-Chee cartoon adds a family note — "Wayne's brother is a star football player" — one of those charming personal touches that make this set's backs so entertaining. The reverse is an authentic Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back with side-by-side English and French biographies and the "Printed in Canada" stamp; this is a biography back, not a puzzle back. The front features a rugged, game-worn portrait against the stadium backdrop with strong red borders. Centering is approximately 55/45 left-to-right and slightly low. Corner wear is the main condition note here: both bottom corners show visible whitening with light rounding, the top-left shows a smaller touch, and there is scattered edge chipping along the bottom and left borders where the red ink has flaked. The back shows typical even tan toning, clean bilingual print, and no writing, stains, or paper loss. We find no creases or wrinkles in either scan, but the cumulative corner and edge wear pulls our estimate down to the cautious side of mid-grade. For collectors of Grey Cup-era Ottawa football, this 1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL Wayne Giardino #86 Ottawa Rough Riders single is an affordable, story-rich addition — a champion's card with honest wear and full vintage character. Grade Estimate: VG-EX 4