1971 O-Pee-Chee Ron Forwick #56 Edmonton Eskimos

Description

1971 O-Pee-Chee Ron Forwick #56 Edmonton Eskimos Complete your Eskimos defensive line with this 1971 O-Pee-Chee Ron Forwick #56 Edmonton Eskimos card, featuring the Eskimos Rookie Award winner who quickly became a Western All-Star. The 1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL set is one of the most iconic Canadian football releases, with its distinctive red borders, EE oval logo, and bilingual backs that give it a charm no American set can match. Collectors love this set for its photography taken right on the CFL fields and for the way it documents the league before the Eskimos dynasty of the late seventies and early eighties. Ron Forwick was a key part of that build. Listed as a non import, 6 foot 4, 245 pounds from the Edmonton Huskies junior program, Forwick is noted on his cartoon back as Ron won his first year Rookie Award with the Eskimos. In 1970 he played in the CFL All-Star Game and was selected to the Western All-Star Team, and he was also selected on the first ballot for the Schenley Awards, an impressive rise for a young Canadian defensive end. For fans of Edmonton junior football and Canadian defensive linemen who made it big in the CFL, Forwick represents the local talent pipeline that made the Eskimos so strong. The front shows him in a classic three point stance wearing number 75 on the Clarke Stadium turf with the stands behind him, a fantastic action pose for a defensive lineman card from this era. This card is perfect for Huskies alumni, Eskimos team collectors, and anyone chasing the 1971 O-Pee-Chee set. This is a Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back with English and French biography, pink cartoon panel, and O-Pee-Chee Printed in Canada footer. The front centering is about 60/40 left to right and 55/45 top to bottom, with strong color and a sharp image. Corners show light softening at the top left and bottom right, with the other two corners remaining fairly sharp. The red border has very minor chipping along the left edge, much less than typical for this set. The back is clean tan stock with light even toning, no creases, no wrinkles, no writing, and the black text is bold and legible. We conservatively estimate this as EX 5 due to the slight corner wear and centering, but it remains an attractive example that displays well. If you have been searching for 1971 O-Pee-Chee Ron Forwick #56 Edmonton Eskimos, this is a solid mid grade card of an award winning Canadian defender with great historical appeal. Grade Estimate: EX 5