Mr. Irrelevant

Mr. Irrelevant is the title bestowed each year upon the last pick of the annual National Football League draft. Although the NFL Draft dates back to 1936, the first person to officially be given the "Mr. Irrelevant" title was Kelvin Kirk, pick number 487 of the 1976 draft. The current Mr. Irrelevant is Tae Crowder, former linebacker for the Georgia Bulldogs, who was picked 255th by the New York Giants in the 2020 draft.

Jim Finn, Mr. Irrelevant of the 1999 NFL Draft, and Super Bowl XLII champion

History

"Mr. Irrelevant" and "Irrelevant Week" arose in 1976, when former Southern California and NFL receiver Paul Salata founded the event in Newport Beach, California. He continued to announce the final pick of the NFL draft until 2013; from 2014 his daughter took over in announcing the pick. During the summer after the draft, the new Mr. Irrelevant and his family are invited to spend a week in Newport Beach where they enjoy a trip to Disneyland, a golf tournament, a regatta, a roast giving advice to the new draftee, and a ceremony awarding him the Lowsman Trophy. The trophy mimics the Heisman, but depicts a player fumbling a football.[1]

"Irrelevant Week" gave so much publicity to "Mr. Irrelevant" that in 1979 the Los Angeles Rams, with the penultimate pick, intentionally passed to let the Pittsburgh Steelers, with the last pick, choose first. The Steelers also wanted the publicity and passed as well. The two teams continued to refuse to choose a player until NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle forced the teams to pick, with the Steelers winning the pick. The incident led to the "Salata Rule", which prohibits teams from passing to get the final pick.[2]

Notable selections

Since the NFL draft was cut to its current seven-round format in 1994, players presented with this dubious honor have more often succeeded in making the team that drafted them, with some making significant contributions on the field.

• Tyrone McGriff Sr. was perhaps the most successful Mr. Irrelevant from the pre-1994 era. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the last pick of the 12th round in 1980. He made the 1980 NFL All-Rookie Team, and played two more seasons for the Steelers. In 1983, he moved on to the Michigan Panthers of the upstart United States Football League. He won a league championship ring that year, as well as a spot on the USFL All-Star Team.
• John Tuggle started five games as a fullback his rookie year, and was named the 1983 New York Giants Special Teams Player of the Year. However, during the 1984 training camp, he was diagnosed with cancer. He never played again, and died in 1986.
• Special teams player Marty Moore became the first Mr. Irrelevant to play in a Super Bowl, with the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI.[3]
• Mike Green played a significant role in the Chicago Bears secondary in the 2000s, and played from 2000 to 2008.[4]
• Jim Finn was on the roster as a fullback for the New York Giants on their victory in Super Bowl XLII. Prior to the 2007 season, Finn was placed on injured reserve and never played a game for the Giants on their road to the Super Bowl that year, having been replaced by Madison Hedgecock. He had been the Giants fullback for four seasons.[5]
• 2008 winner David Vobora was a starting linebacker for the St. Louis Rams during the 2009 season.[5]
• 2009 winner Ryan Succop became the starting kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs. He went on to tie the NFL record for highest field goal percentage by a rookie in a season with 86.2%, and also passed NFL Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud for most field goals made by a rookie in Chiefs history. Succop was awarded the Mack Lee Hill Award that year.[6] He has been a starting kicker since his rookie season making 81.5% of his field goals and a perfect 100% on extra points. Succop moved on to the Tennessee Titans for the 2014 season and was signed to a contract extension in early 2018 before being released in March of 2020.
• 2017 winner Ole Miss Quarterback Chad Kelly is the nephew of former Buffalo Bills quarterback and Hall of Famer Jim Kelly. Drafted last largely because injury and discipline questions had lowered his previously high draft stock, Kelly progressed to become the Denver Broncos' second-string quarterback by the 2018 preseason before being released on October 24, 2018.[7] He later signed with the Indianapolis Colts.[8]

Mr. Irrelevant selections

Year	Round	Pick	Player	Name	Team	Position	College
1976	17	28	487	Kelvin Kirk	Steelers	WR	Dayton
1977	12	27	335	Jim Kelleher	Vikings	RB	Colorado
1978	12	28	334	Lee Washburn	Cowboys	G	Montana State
1979	12	27	330	Mike Almond	Steelers	WR	Northwestern State
1980	12	28	333	Tyrone McGriff	Steelers	G	Florida A&M
1981	12	28	332	Phil Nelson	Raiders	TE	Delaware
1982	12	28	334	Tim Washington	49ers	DB	Fresno State
1983	12	28	335	John Tuggle	Giants[lower-alpha 1]	RB	California
1984	12	28	336	Randy Essington	Raiders	QB	Colorado
1985	12	28	336	Donald Chumley	49ers	DT	Georgia
1986	12	28	333	Mike Travis	Chargers	DB	Georgia Tech
1987	12	28	335	Norman Jefferson	Packers[lower-alpha 2]	DB	LSU
1988	12	28	333	Jeff Beathard	Rams[lower-alpha 3]	WR	Southern Oregon
1989	12	28	335	Everett Ross	Vikings[lower-alpha 4]	WR	Ohio State
1990	12	27	331	Demetrius Davis	Raiders[lower-alpha 5]	TE	Nevada
1991	12	28	334	Larry Wanke	Giants	QB	John Carroll
1992	12	28	336	Matt Elliott	Redskins	C	Michigan
1993	8	28	224	Daron Alcorn	Buccaneers[lower-alpha 6]	K	Akron
1994	7	28	222	Marty Moore	Patriots[lower-alpha 7]	LB	Kentucky
1995	7	41	249	Michael Reed	Panthers	DB	Boston College
1996	7	45	254	Sam Manuel	49ers	LB	New Mexico State
1997	7	39	240	Ronnie McAda	Packers	QB	Army
1998	7	52	241	Cam Quayle	Ravens	TE	Weber State
1999	7	47	253	Jim Finn	Bears[lower-alpha 8]	RB	Pennsylvania
2000	7	48	254	Michael Green	Bears[lower-alpha 9]	DB	Northwestern State
2001	7	46	246	Tevita Ofahengaue	Cardinals	TE	BYU
2002	7	50	261	Ahmad Miller	Texans	DT	UNLV
2003	7	48	262	Ryan Hoag	Raiders[lower-alpha 10]	WR	Gustavus Adolphus
2004	7	54	255	Andre Sommersell	Raiders	LB	Colorado State
2005	7	41	255	Andy Stokes	Patriots	TE	William Penn
2006	7	47	255	Kevin McMahan	Raiders	WR	Maine
2007	7	45	255	Ramzee Robinson	Lions	CB	Alabama
2008	7	45	252	David Vobora	Rams	OLB	Idaho
2009	7	47	256	Ryan Succop	Chiefs	K	South Carolina
2010	7	48	255	Tim Toone	Lions	WR	Weber State
2011	7	53	254	Cheta Ozougwu	Texans	DE	Rice
2012	7	46	253	Chandler Harnish	Colts	QB	Northern Illinois
2013	7	48	254	Justice Cunningham	Colts	TE	South Carolina
2014	7	41	256	Lonnie Ballentine	Texans	S	Memphis
2015	7	39	256	Gerald Christian	Cardinals	TE	Louisville
2016	7	32	253	Kalan Reed	Titans[lower-alpha 11]	CB	Southern Miss
2017	7	35	253	Chad Kelly	Broncos	QB	Ole Miss
2018	7	38	256	Trey Quinn	Redskins[lower-alpha 12]	WR	SMU
2019	7	40	254	Caleb Wilson	Cardinals	TE	UCLA
2020	7	41	255	Tae Crowder	Giants	LB	Georgia

Pre–Mr. Irrelevant final selections

Prior to the establishment of Mr. Irrelevant, Jimmy Walker was the final pick in 1967 despite never having played college football. His main sport, however, was basketball, in which he was a consensus All-American and the nation's leading scorer as a senior at Providence College. Walker was the first pick in the 1967 NBA Draft, and opted for a career in the NBA.[9]

The last player chosen in the 1961 NFL Draft, Jacque MacKinnon, had a successful 10-season career. However he signed with the San Diego Chargers of the rival American Football League instead of with the Philadelphia Eagles. He appeared in two AFL All-Star Games in 1966 and 1968. He was one of only two Mr. Irrelevants to appear in a Pro Bowl or the equivalent.

The first Mr. Irrelevant to make the Pro Bowl was Bill Fischer, who was the last pick in the 1948 NFL Draft. He was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals after his junior season at Notre Dame. He opted to stay in school, and won the Outland Trophy as the nation's top interior lineman in 1948. The Cardinals drafted him again in 1949, this time with their first round pick. Fischer made three Pro Bowls in five seasons before retiring at the age of the age of 26 to take an assistant coaching job at Notre Dame.

Year	Round	Pick	Player	Name	Team	Position	College
1936	9	9	81	Phil Flanagan	Giants	G	Holy Cross
1937	10	10	100	Solon Holt	Rams	G	TCU
1938	12	10	110	Ferd Dreher	Bears	E	Denver
1939	22	5	200	Jack Rhodes	Giants	G	Texas
1940	22	5	200	Myron Claxton	Giants	T	Whittier
1941	22	2	204	Mort Landsberg	Steelers	B	Cornell
1942	22	5	200	Stu Clarkson	Bears	C	Texas A&I
1943	32	5	300	Bo Bogovich	Redskins	G	Delaware
1944	32	6	330	Walton Roberts	Yanks	B	Texas
1945	32	6	330	Billy Joe Aldridge	Packers	B	Oklahoma A&M
1946	32	5	300	John West	Rams	B	Oklahoma
1947	32	7	300	Don Clayton	Giants	B	North Carolina
1948	32	7	300	Bill Fischer	Cardinals	G	Notre Dame
1949	25	10	251	John (Bull) Schweder	Eagles	G	Pennsylvania
1950	30	13	391	Dud Parker	Eagles	B	Baylor
1951	30	11	362	Sisto Averno	Browns	G	Muhlenberg
1952	30	11	360	John Saban	Browns	B	Xavier
1953	30	11	360	Hal Maus	Lions	E	Montana
1954	30	11	360	Ellis Horton	Lions	B	Eureka (IL)
1955	30	11	360	Lamar Leachman	Browns	C	Tennessee
1956	30	11	360	Bob Bartholomew	Browns	T	Wake Forest
1957	30	11	360	Don Gest	Giants	E	Washington State
1958	30	11	360	Tommy Bronson	Lions	B	Tennessee
1959	30	12	360	Blair Weese	Colts	B	West Virginia Tech
1960	20	12	240	Bill Gorman	Giants	T	McMurry
1961	20	14	280	Jacque MacKinnon	Eagles	B	Colgate
1962	20	14	280	Mike Snodgrass	Packers	C	Western Michigan
1963	20	14	280	Bobby Brezina	Packers	B	Houston
1964	20	14	280	Dick Niglio	Bears	RB	Yale
1965	20	14	280	George Haffner	Colts	QB	McNeese State
1966	20	15	305	Tom Carr	Colts	T	Morgan State
1967	17	26	445	Jimmy Walker	Saints	WR	Providence
1968	17	27	462	Jimmy Smith	Bengals	TE	Jackson State
1969	17	26	442	Fred Zirkie	Jets	DT	Duke
1970	17	26	442	Rayford Jenkins	Chiefs	DB	Alcorn A&M
1971[lower-alpha 13]	17	26	442	Charles Hill	Raiders	WR	Sam Houston State
1972	17	26	442	Alphonso Cain	Cowboys	DT	Bethune-Cookman
1973	17	26	442	Charles Wade	Dolphins	WR	Tennessee State
1974	17	26	442	Ken Dickerson	Dolphins	DB	Tuskegee
1975	17	26	442	Stan Hegener	Steelers	G	Nebraska

See also

• List of first overall National Football League draft picks

Explanatory notes

1. Pick traded from the Washington Redskins to the New York Giants prior to selection.
2. Pick traded from the New York Giants to the Green Bay Packers prior to selection.
3. Pick traded from the Washington Redskins to the Los Angeles Rams prior to selection.
4. Pick traded from the San Francisco 49ers through the Los Angeles Raiders to the Minnesota Vikings prior to selection.
5. Pick traded from the San Francisco 49ers to the Los Angeles Raiders prior to selection.
6. Pick traded from the Dallas Cowboys to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers prior to selection.
7. Pick traded from the Dallas Cowboys to the New England Patriots prior to selection.
8. Supplemental pick awarded to the reactivated Cleveland Browns, traded from the Browns to the Chicago Bears prior to selection.
9. Supplemental pick awarded to the reactivated Cleveland Browns, traded from the Browns to the Chicago Bears prior to selection.
10. Supplemental pick awarded to the expansion Houston Texans, traded from the Texans to the Oakland Raiders prior to selection.
11. Pick traded from the Denver Broncos to the Tennessee Titans prior to selection. This was a non-compensatory pick.
12. Compensatory pick traded from the Atlanta Falcons to the Washington Redskins prior to selection; from 2017 onwards, compensatory picks may be traded.
13. Although some contemporary sources list Don Nottingham, who had a seven-year career in the NFL, as the last pick of this draft, the Oakland Raiders passed when their time came to pick in the last round and wound up choosing last.

Citations

1. "Irrelevant Week is pretty, well, relevant". Retrieved April 29, 2017.
2. Merron, Jeff (April 18, 2005). "The strangest NFL draft moments". ESPN. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
3. "'Mr. Irrelevant' Marty Moore a Major Success Story for Patriots". March 10, 2010. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
4. "NFL Draft 2013: Top 5 most relevant Mr. Irrelevant selections of all time". Retrieved April 29, 2017.
5. "20 NFL draft Mr. Irrelevants who worked their way to (some sort of) relevance". April 29, 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on January 13, 2010. Retrieved January 5, 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
7. Wesseling, Chris (May 1, 2018). "John Elway: Broncos not giving up on Paxton Lynch". nfl.com. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
8. "Roundup: Colts sign former Broncos QB Chad Kelly". NFL.com. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
9. May, Peter (July 3, 2007). "Providence hoops legend Jimmy Walker dies at 63". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 8, 2007.

External links

• Homepage for "Irrelevant Week" and the current "Mr. Irrelevant"
• "Meeting Mr. Irrelevant" from GQ
• "Guess Mr. Irrelevant contest ends Wednesday", Los Angeles Times (April 22, 2013)—Image of the Lowsman Trophy