1972 O-Pee-Chee Jim Corrigall #31 Toronto Argonauts

Description

1972 O-Pee-Chee Jim Corrigall #31 Toronto Argonauts The 1972 O-Pee-Chee Jim Corrigall #31 Toronto Argonauts card showcases the player who became the heartbeat of the Double Blue defence and one of the most decorated Argonauts of his generation. Corrigall is photographed in jersey number 79, leaning forward in a classic practice-field pose beneath the oversized ARGONAUTS name. The red frame and turquoise lettering deliver the bold visual identity collectors associate with O-Pee-Chee’s 1972 CFL set, while the full-length portrait provides a direct link to the early years of a Hall of Fame career. This was O-Pee-Chee’s last dedicated CFL issue, a 132-card release composed of nine team groups, fourteen Pro Action cards and one checklist. As a result, every surviving single contributes to a finite and distinctly Canadian collecting project. Corrigall’s card is especially desirable for Argonauts historians, Kent State collectors, Canadian Football Hall of Fame collections and fans of players who chose the CFL despite significant NFL interest. Born in Barrie, Ontario, Jim Corrigall starred at Kent State from 1967 through 1969. He became the school’s first player to earn first-team All-Mid-American Conference honours in three consecutive seasons, served as a two-time captain and had his number 79 retired by the university. The St. Louis Cardinals selected him in the second round, 33rd overall, of the 1970 NFL draft, but Corrigall elected to play for Toronto. He was named the East Division’s outstanding rookie in 1970 and helped the Argonauts advance to the 1971 Grey Cup. Over an entire professional career spent with Toronto, he became an eight-time East All-Star and four-time CFL All-Star. In 1975 he was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player, the first Argonaut to win that award and, for decades afterward, the only Toronto player to do so. Because sacks and defensive tackles were not recorded officially for most of his career, his impact is better measured through honours, film and the 16 fumble recoveries credited to him. Corrigall was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1990 and named an All-Time Argo in 1997, securing his place among the franchise’s foundational defensive stars. This is an original ungraded card, assessed from high-resolution scans taken through a protective sheet. The front offers strong colour contrast and a well-centered player image. The printed frame is slightly shifted toward the right and sits a little low, but the borders remain complete on all sides. The corners show modest softening and light rounding, with the upper pair affected slightly more than the lower pair. A small irregular cut or chip is visible near the top edge, and isolated white fibres appear along the red border. Several conspicuous pale print or surface spots are visible in the photograph, including marks in the sky, on the uniform and near the lower image area. These spots reduce the technical surface assessment even though the image remains appealing. The back has uniform age toning, mild edge roughness and a few scattered flecks; its blue-and-green design is crisp and fully readable. No definite crease, paper wrinkle, tear, writing, pinhole or heavy stain is visible. Long faint lines crossing the scan appear consistent with sleeve reflections or scratches, so removal from the page is required before treating any such line as card damage. This example has the authentic Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual English/French player-biography back, including Corrigall’s “Country” nickname and 1970 rookie-award reference. It does not have a puzzle back. Raw Grade Estimate: VG-EX