SOLD 1971 O-Pee-Chee Gene Ceppetelli #104 Montreal Alouettes

Description

1971 O-Pee-Chee Gene Ceppetelli #104 Montreal Alouettes Anchoring the offensive line for a dynasty era Montreal Alouettes front, this 1971 O-Pee-Chee Gene Ceppetelli #104 Montreal Alouettes card spotlights one of the most respected Canadian centres of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Gene Ceppetelli came out of Sudbury Ontario to play for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1963 and over the next five seasons established himself as one of the top centres in the CFL, a gritty interior lineman who handled the nose tackle battles and line calls that made Hamilton and later Montreal offenses click, a journey detailed on the back which proudly notes Gene Was Selected To The All Eastern Team In 1970 and Gene Fut Une Etoile De L'Est En 1970 in French. Listed as Non Import 6 foot 1 and 205 pounds and later as Canadien 6 feet 1 and 205 pounds Centre, Ceppetelli represented the homegrown toughness that Canadian fans revered, a player who could snap, pull, and pass protect with equal savvy. The 1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL set is beloved for its bright red borders that pop against the team green and its action poses or portrait shots that capture the era's equipment and simple face mask style. Each card's back tells a story in two languages with a pink cartoon highlighting a career milestone, making it a cultural artifact as much as a sports card. Montreal Alouettes collectors seeking the complete offensive line from the 1970 Grey Cup championship window need Ceppetelli, an All Eastern stalwart who helped protect legends like Sonny Wade. this copy shows modest wear consistent with careful storage in a binder sleeve, top left corner has a tiny white tick and bottom corners show light rounding, red border retains strong saturation with only faint chipping at the lower left, centering is roughly 60 to 40 left to right and 60 to 40 top to bottom favoring the right and bottom, front image is sharp with good focus on the face and green jersey, back shows expected tan stock oxidation without major staining. This is a Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back with full English and French text and O-Pee-Chee Printed In Canada at bottom, not a puzzle back. Conservative grade reflects corner softness and centering but no creases or surface breaks. Grade Estimate: EX 5