1971 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Harris #123 Calgary Stampeders CFL

Description

1971 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Harris #123 Calgary Stampeders CFL This 1971 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Harris card, number 123, is one of the highlights in this Calgary-heavy group because it captures a defensive legend already regarded among the greatest linebackers in Canadian football history. Harris is pictured in a white number 55 road jersey, crouched and ready to move, with the bright red O-Pee-Chee border making the image pop. The bilingual back leaves no doubt about his stature: it calls him the best linebacker to ever play in Canada, notes his Schenley Award as Canada’s Outstanding Lineman in 1965, 1966 and 1970, and states that he had been an All-Star for 10 consecutive years. Listed at 6 feet and 210 pounds out of the University of Arkansas, Harris was not the largest defender, but his instincts, tackling technique, and durability made him the heart of Calgary’s defense. The cartoon panel reinforces his popularity with fans by describing him as a popular player who wore the Stampeders’ colors, and the reverse also references the President’s Award recognition he received. For collectors, this card sits at the intersection of vintage CFL design and Hall of Fame caliber performance. Wayne Harris is a foundational name in Stampeders history, and his cards remain sought after by defensive football collectors, Saskatchewan and Calgary rival fans, and anyone studying the 1960s and 1970s Canadian game. The red-border O-Pee-Chee format only adds to the appeal because it looks so distinctly of its era. This is the standard Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual English and French card back, printed in Canada, not a puzzle back. The front is one of the cleaner cards in the sheet, with relatively sharp corners showing only minor softness at the top-left and bottom-left tips, clean edges, and no notable chipping; the photo is centered close to 50/50 with a slight shift toward the left, and the reverse is bright and free of writing, stains, creases, or paper loss. The surface is strong, but the light tip wear and ordinary age contact keep it conservatively below Excellent-Mint. A conservative EX 5 grade is appropriate because the card has excellent color and only modest corner handling, but the small tip touches prevent a higher raw designation. It is an attractive display piece for a CFL Hall of Fame collection, a Calgary Stampeders team set, or anyone searching for 1971 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Harris #123 Calgary Stampeders CFL. Grade Estimate: EX 5