1972 O-Pee-Chee CFL Larry Robinson #56 Hall of Fame Calgary Stampeders

Description

1972 O-Pee-Chee CFL Larry Robinson #56 Hall of Fame Calgary Stampeders The 1972 O-Pee-Chee CFL Larry Robinson #56 Hall of Fame Calgary Stampeders card celebrates a hometown star whose versatility, durability and scoring made him one of the most important players in franchise history. The memorable front combines Calgary's bright red uniform with a lime green team frame and yellow lettering, giving Robinson's number 15 portrait the unmistakable visual character collectors associate with this 1972 Canadian issue. Part of O-Pee-Chee's 132-card CFL set, the card was released immediately after the Stampeders captured the 1971 Grey Cup and is a compelling period collectible from the club's first championship season in more than two decades. Robinson played receiver early in his career before becoming an elite defensive back, placekicker and punter. He suited up for his hometown Stampeders from 1961 through 1974 and never missed a game during his 14 seasons, an exceptional record in an era of demanding two-way and special-teams assignments. Robinson became the first player in CFL history to surpass 1,000 career points. His 50 interceptions remain a Calgary franchise standard, and he earned Western all-star recognition at defensive back in 1965, 1971 and 1972. In the decisive game of the 1970 Western final, he kicked a dramatic late field goal to send Calgary back to the Grey Cup. One year later, he contributed to the 14 to 11 championship win over Toronto that ended Calgary's 23-year title drought. His full career encompassed kicking, coverage, receiving and defensive leadership, a range that explains his induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2009. The reverse is a Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual text back with English and French biography sections, not a puzzle back. It highlights his 1961 rookie season, his 1964 scoring lead and 1965 award nomination, and it includes the card number 56, Mount Royal College background and a charming illustrated caption. The card appears clean and colourful, with lightly touched corners, slight roughness along the upper edge and small white flecks around the border. The lower left corner shows mild softening, while the remaining corners retain generally respectable shape. The front design is slightly shifted but remains visually balanced, and no obvious crease, wrinkle, ink mark, writing, pinhole or paper tear can be seen. The reverse has expected tan age toning, minor edge rub and gentle corner wear, with the blue border and bilingual printing remaining clear. Protective-sleeve glare may hide minute surface scratches, so the estimate does not assume a flawless surface. An EX-MT 6 assessment is suitably conservative for the photographed condition, reflecting a strong crease-free presentation tempered by modest vintage edge and corner wear. For collectors seeking a Hall of Fame Calgary player, an early O-Pee-Chee CFL issue or a tangible link to the 1971 Grey Cup champions, this card offers excellent historical content at an accessible price. Grade Estimate: EX-MT 6