1971 O-Pee-Chee Pierre Desjardins #108 CFL Montreal Alouettes

Description

1971 O-Pee-Chee Pierre Desjardins #108 CFL Montreal Alouettes This 1971 O-Pee-Chee Pierre Desjardins #108 Montreal Alouettes card is a hometown story in cardboard form. Desjardins was the Montreal East End product made good, a local lineman who came back from the University of Wyoming to protect the Alouettes' quarterbacks and open holes for the running game, and by the time this card was printed he was already starting his sixth season in the league, a remarkable run of durability for a player who was never the biggest tackle in the CFL but made up for every pound with extreme aggressiveness. The card back even makes a point of his work ethic, noting that between seasons he worked for Imperial Tobacco, the kind of working class detail that made O-Pee-Chee's Canadian issue feel authentic to fans who knew these players as neighbours rather than distant stars. Desjardins would go on to become one of the most respected linemen of his era, and the Alouettes honoured him by retiring his number 63, a distinction reserved for the true franchise legends. He was a key part of the Montreal team that won the 1970 Grey Cup, the club's first championship in twenty one years, and his longevity anchored the offensive line through the dynasty years that followed. For the set builder, this card also fills a specific and often overlooked slot in the 1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL checklist, which ran 132 cards organized by team and printed only in Canada. Desjardins spent his entire CFL career in Montreal colours, an unbroken run of loyalty that ended with his number 63 raised to the rafters and his reputation as one of the finest homegrown linemen of his generation secure. A clean example of this card is a natural centrepiece for any Alouettes or offensive line collection. the surfaces are clean and free of creases, wrinkles, and surface marks at scan resolution, the red border remains vivid and evenly applied, and the corners and edges show no chipping visible in the scan, with centering that appears well within the normal tolerances for this frequently off centre issue. The reverse is the classic Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back with the biography printed in both English and French and the PRINTED IN CANADA line at the base, and this is not the puzzle back variation. Whether you collect retired number legends, Montreal Alouettes history, or the full 132 card set, this 1971 O-Pee-Chee Pierre Desjardins #108 card is a clean original that carries real local pride. Grade Estimate: EX 5