1971 O-Pee-Chee Larry Fairholm #110 Montreal Alouettes

Description

1971 O-Pee-Chee Larry Fairholm #110 Montreal Alouettes If defensive toughness and Grey Cup pedigree define your Montreal Alouettes collection, the 1971 O-Pee-Chee Larry Fairholm #110 Montreal Alouettes card brings a cornerstone secondary star fresh off a championship run. Larry Fairholm arrived as a Rosemount junior football sensation who earned a scholarship to the University of Arizona where his athleticism caught the eye of both American and Canadian pro scouts, ultimately choosing Montreal where he starred for five seasons and won the Jeff Russell Memorial Trophy in 1968 as the East Division's Most Outstanding Player. The back of this card proudly announces Larry Won His First Grey Cup In 1970, capturing the moment when the 1970 Alouettes led by Fairholm's physical coverage upset the odds and brought the Grey Cup home to Montreal, a victory still celebrated by Alouettes fans as the revival of the franchise. Fairholm was a Non Import defensive halfback listed at 6 feet and 195 pounds who played with the intelligent aggression that defined Montreal defenses of the early 1970s, capable of run support and deep coverage alike. The 1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL set with its bold red frames and stadium backgrounds mirrored the popular 1971 Topps football design but added that unmistakably Canadian bilingual flavor, each back offering English and French text plus a whimsical pink cartoon panel outlining a fun fact in both languages. Collectors love these cards for the way they capture players in classic green and white Alouettes uniforms before modern logo overhauls. This Fairholm example is a perfect depth piece for a Montreal team set, Grey Cup champions collection, or University of Arizona alumni chase. this copy presents with brighter red borders than many in the sheet, corners are slightly soft especially the top right with only minor white touching, edges are mostly clean with minimal chipping for a red border issue, centering is approximately 60 to 40 top to bottom and 55 to 45 side to side favoring the bottom, surface is glossy with clear image and no creases observed through the sleeve, slight age toning on the back typical of OPC tan stock. This is a Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back featuring English and French biography plus the cartoon fact and O-Pee-Chee Printed In Canada footer. A conservative raw assessment places it in the EX range given the retained color and only light corner wear. Grade Estimate: EX 5