1971 O-Pee-Chee Gerry Herron #40 BC Lions Vintage CFL Football Card

Description

1971 O-Pee-Chee Gerry Herron #40 BC Lions Vintage CFL Football Card This 1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL card features Gerry Herron, the versatile defensive halfback who brought speed and athleticism to the British Columbia Lions secondary. Card number 40 in the iconic 132-card 1971 O-Pee-Chee set, it showcases Herron in his Lions jersey with the position designation Defensive Halfback. Herron played his college football at Washington State University, where he was not only a standout defensive back but also a member of the WSU track and field team, a fact celebrated on the back of this card. A native of Kelowna, British Columbia, Herron was classified as a non-import player and took pride in representing his home province in the CFL. Standing 6 feet 1 inch and weighing 195 pounds, he possessed the size and speed to play either side of the ball, and the cartoon on the back of the card playfully illustrates this versatility with two football figures, one on offense and one on defense, captioned Gerry can play either offense or defense. The French translation reads Gerry peut jouer a l'offensive ou a la defensive, a hallmark of the bilingual O-Pee-Chee format. Herron was a product of the BC football pipeline, having risen through the minor football ranks before starring at Washington State and joining the Lions. His ability to contribute in multiple roles made him a valuable roster player during his time with the club. The card front features the signature bright red border design of the 1971 O-Pee-Chee issue, with the Lions mascot logo prominently displayed and the team name Br. Columbia Lions in the distinctive yellow and red typography. The reverse is an original Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back printed in both English and French, with the standard O-Pee-Chee copyright and Printed in Canada attribution. It is not a puzzle back. This card is a wonderful addition for collectors assembling the BC Lions team subset or anyone seeking well-preserved examples from this classic 1970s CFL issue. The card exhibits corner wear at all four tips, with the bottom left and bottom right showing the most noticeable rounding. There is some light edge chipping along the bottom border where the red ink shows minor friction wear. The photo image is clean with no surface scratches, creases, or staining, and the centering is slightly toward the right side. Color retention is good with solid red borders and a clear, well-focused player photograph. The reverse is free of writing, pen marks, and paper loss, with only the natural age toning of the vintage stock present. No creases or wrinkles are visible on either side. A conservative raw grade estimate of VG-EX 4 reflects the rounded corners and edge chipping, though the card remains structurally sound and displays attractively. Grade Estimate: VG-EX 4