1971 O-Pee-Chee John Wydareny #60 Edmonton Eskimos

Description

1971 O-Pee-Chee John Wydareny #60 Edmonton Eskimos Add a record setting defensive back to your roster with this 1971 O-Pee-Chee John Wydareny #60 Edmonton Eskimos card, a standout from one of the most collectible Canadian football sets ever made. The 1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL issue is famous for its bright red frames, team logo ovals, and Canadian printed bilingual backs that make it uniquely different from any American football product of the era. With 132 cards covering all nine CFL teams, it captures a league full of characters, tough Canadians, and American stars building careers up north. John Wydareny was one of those durable Canadian stars. Listed as a non import, 6 foot 0, 180 pounds from the University of Western Ontario, Wydareny was an eight year veteran of the CFL at the time, and his card back notes he was nominated to the 1970 All-Canadian Team. More impressively, the back states he has held the record in the CFL for interception returns for 2 years in a row, 11 for a gain of 151 yards, a ball hawking achievement that made him one of the most feared secondaries in the West. For Western Mustangs alumni collectors and fans of Canadian defensive backs who excelled against bigger American receivers, Wydareny is a key name. The front image shows him in the number 15 Eskimos jersey at Clarke Stadium with the bleachers in the background, a classic stadium shot that defines this set. This card fits perfectly into Eskimos team sets, defensive back collections, and University of Western Ontario athletic history displays. This is a Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back with the cartoon fact John was nominated to the 1970 All-Canadian Team and full English and French career notes. The front centering is approximately 60/40 left to right and 55/45 top to bottom, with clean color and no fading. Corners show light wear at the bottom left and top right, with the remaining corners fairly sharp. The red border has minor edge chipping along the top edge, typical for this issue. The back is clean tan stock with no creases, no wrinkles, and light age toning, with sharp print and no marks. We conservatively grade this as EX 5 due to corner softness and slight border wear, but it presents as a solid collector grade vintage card. The 1971 O-Pee-Chee John Wydareny #60 Edmonton Eskimos is a great value for a record holder and All-Canadian defensive back. Grade Estimate: EX 5