Mr. Irrelevant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Mr. Irrelevant" is the title bestowed each year upon the last pick of the annual National Football League draft.
Contents |
[edit] Irrelevant Week
The name arose in 1976, when former Southern California and NFL receiver Paul Salata founded "Irrelevant Week" in Newport Beach, California. Salata announces the final draft pick during the NFL draft. During the summer after the NFL draft, the new Mr. Irrelevant and his family are invited to spend a week in Newport, where they enjoy 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.
The first Mr. Irrelevant was Kelvin Kirk, picked number 487 of the 1976 draft. The current Mr. Irrelevant is kicker Ryan Succop of the University of South Carolina, pick number 256 of the 2009 draft. He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs.
[edit] Notable "winners"
Several players who have been presented with this dubious honor have nevertheless succeeded in making the team that drafted them, with significant contributions on the field. Bill Kenney, who won the 1978 Mr. Irrelevant award under special circumstances (see below), was even honored with an invitation to the Pro Bowl in 1983. 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. Jim Finn was the starting fullback for the New York Giants. Mike Green has been a starting safety for the Bears and backup for the Seahawks, and is currently a backup for the Redskins. 2007's Ramzee Robinson was originally drafted by the Detroit Lions and played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns in 2009. 2008 winner David Vobora is a starting linebacker for the St. Louis Rams beginning in the 2009 season. 2009 winner Ryan Succop is the starting kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs.
One "Mr. Irrelevant" (who actually predated the award by nearly a decade) went on to a productive professional career in another sport. 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. Walker was the first overall pick in the 1967 NBA Draft, and logically opted for a career in the NBA.[1]
[edit] Mr. Irrelevant winners and other final selections
| Year | Round | Pick | Player | Name | Team | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 7 | 47 | 256 | Ryan Succop | Chiefs | K | South Carolina |
| 2008 | 7 | 45 | 252 | David Vobora | Rams | OLB | Idaho |
| 2007 | 7 | 45 | 255 | Ramzee Robinson | Lions | CB | Alabama |
| 2006 | 7 | 47 | 255 | Kevin McMahan | Raiders | WR | Maine |
| 2005 | 7 | 41 | 255 | Andy Stokes | Patriots | TE | William Penn |
| 2004 | 7 | 54 | 255 | Andre Sommersell | Raiders | LB | Colorado State |
| 2003 | 7 | 48 | 262 | Ryan Hoag | Raiders | WR | Gustavus Adolphus |
| 2002 | 7 | 50 | 261 | Ahmad Miller | Texans | DT | UNLV |
| 2001 | 7 | 46 | 246 | Tevita Ofahengaue | Cardinals | TE | Brigham Young |
| 2000 | 7 | 48 | 254 | Michael Green | Bears | DB | Northwestern State |
| 1999 | 7 | 47 | 253 | Jim Finn | Bears | RB | Pennsylvania |
| 1998 | 7 | 52 | 241 | Cam Quayle | Ravens | TE | Weber State |
| 1997 | 7 | 39 | 240 | Ronnie McAda | Packers | QB | Army |
| 1996 | 7 | 45 | 254 | Sam Manuel | 49ers | LB | New Mexico State |
| 1995 | 7 | 41 | 249 | Michael Reed | Panthers | DB | Boston College |
| 1994 | 7 | 28 | 222 | Marty Moore | Patriots | LB | Kentucky |
| 1993 | 8 | 28 | 224 | Daron Alcorn | Buccaneers | K | Akron |
| 1992 | 12 | 28 | 336 | Matt Elliott | Redskins | C | Michigan |
| 1991 | 12 | 28 | 334 | Larry Wanke | Giants | QB | John Carroll |
| 1990 | 12 | 27 | 331 | Demetrius Davis | Raiders | TE | Nevada |
| 1989 | 12 | 28 | 335 | Everett Ross | Vikings | WR | Ohio State |
| 1988 | 12 | 28 | 333 | Jeff Beathard | Rams | WR | Southern Oregon |
| 1987 | 12 | 28 | 335 | Norman Jefferson | Packers | DB | LSU |
| 1986 | 12 | 28 | 333 | Mike Travis | Chargers | DB | Georgia Tech |
| 1985 | 12 | 28 | 336 | Donald Chumley | 49ers | DT | Georgia |
| 1984 | 12 | 28 | 336 | Randy Essington | Raiders | QB | Colorado |
| 1983 | 12 | 28 | 335 | John Tuggle | Giants | RB | California |
| 1982 | 12 | 28 | 334 | Tim Washington | 49ers | DB | Fresno State |
| 1981 | 12 | 28 | 332 | Phil Nelson | Raiders | TE | Delaware |
| 1980* | 12 | 28 | 332 | Kevin Scanlon | Rams | QB | Arkansas |
| 1980[2] | 12 | 28 | 333 | Tyrone McGriff | Steelers | G | Florida A&M |
| 1979 | 12 | 27 | 330 | Mike Almond | Steelers | WR | Northwestern State |
| 1978* | 12 | 27 | 333 | Bill Kenney | Dolphins | QB | Northern Colorado |
| 1978[3] | 12 | 28 | 334 | Lee Washburn | Cowboys | G | Montana State |
| 1977 | 12 | 27 | 335 | Jim Kelleher | Vikings | RB | Colorado |
| 1976 | 17 | 28 | 487 | Kelvin Kirk | Steelers | WR | Dayton |
| 1975 | 17 | 26 | 442 | Stan Hegener | Steelers | G | Nebraska |
| 1974 | 17 | 26 | 442 | Ken Dickerson | Dolphins | DB | Tuskegee |
| 1973 | 17 | 26 | 442 | Charles Wade | Dolphins | WR | Tennessee State |
| 1972 | 17 | 26 | 442 | Alphonso Cain | Cowboys | DT | Bethune-Cookman |
| 1971 | 17 | 26 | 442 | Charles Hill | Raiders | WR | Sam Houston State |
| 1970 | 17 | 26 | 442 | Rayford Jenkins | Chiefs | DB | Alcorn A&M |
| 1969 | 17 | 26 | 442 | Fred Zirkie | Jets | DT | Duke |
| 1968 | 17 | 27 | 462 | Jimmy Smith | Bengals | TE | Jackson State |
| 1967 | 17 | 26 | 445 | Jimmy Walker | Saints | WR | Providence |
| 1966 | 20 | 15 | 305 | Tom Carr | Colts | T | Morgan State |
| 1965 | 20 | 14 | 280 | George Haffner | Colts | QB | McNeese State |
| 1964 | 20 | 14 | 280 | Dick Niglio | Bears | RB | Yale |
| 1963 | 20 | 14 | 280 | Bobby Brezina | Packers | B | Houston |
| 1962 | 20 | 14 | 280 | Mike Snodgrass | Packers | C | Western Michigan |
| 1961 | 20 | 14 | 280 | Jacque MacKinnon | Eagles | B | Colgate |
| 1960 | 20 | 12 | 240 | Bill Gorman | Giants | T | McMurry |
| 1959 | 30 | 12 | 360 | Blair Weese | Colts | B | West Virginia Tech |
| 1958 | 30 | 11 | 360 | Tommy Bronson | Lions | B | Tennessee |
| 1957 | 30 | 11 | 360 | Don Gest | Giants | E | Washington State |
| 1956 | 30 | 11 | 360 | Bob Bartholomew | Browns | T | Wake Forest |
| 1955 | 30 | 11 | 360 | Lamar Leachman | Browns | C | Tennessee |
| 1954 | 30 | 11 | 360 | Ellis Horton | Lions | B | Eureka (IL) |
| 1953 | 30 | 11 | 360 | Hal Maus | Lions | E | Montana |
| 1952 | 30 | 11 | 360 | John Saban | Browns | B | Xavier |
| 1951 | 30 | 11 | 362 | Sisto Averno | Browns | G | Muhlenberg |
| 1950 | 30 | 13 | 391 | Dud Parker | Eagles | B | Baylor |
| 1949 | 25 | 10 | 251 | John (Bull) Schweder | Eagles | G | Pennsylvania |
| 1948 | 32 | 7 | 300 | Bill Fischer | Cardinals | G | Notre Dame |
| 1947 | 32 | 7 | 300 | Don Clayton | Giants | B | North Carolina |
| 1946 | 32 | 5 | 300 | John West | Rams | B | Oklahoma |
| 1945 | 32 | 6 | 330 | Billy Joe Aldridge | Packers | B | Oklahoma A&M |
| 1944 | 32 | 6 | 330 | Walton Roberts | Yanks | B | Texas |
| 1943 | 32 | 5 | 300 | Bo Bogovich | Redskins | G | Delaware |
| 1942 | 22 | 5 | 200 | Stu Clarkson | Bears | C | Texas A&M-Kingsville |
| 1941 | 22 | 2 | 204 | Mort Landsberg | Steelers | B | Cornell |
| 1940 | 22 | 5 | 200 | Myron Claxton | Giants | T | Whittier |
| 1939 | 22 | 5 | 200 | Jack Rhodes | Giants | G | Texas |
| 1938 | 12 | 10 | 110 | Ferd Dreher | Bears | E | Denver |
| 1937 | 10 | 10 | 100 | Solon Holt | Rams | G | TCU |
| 1936 | 9 | 9 | 81 | Phil Flanagan | Giants | G | Holy Cross |
[edit] Notes
- ^ May, Peter (2007-07-03). "Providence hoops legend Jimmy Walker dies at 63". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/mens_basketball/articles/2007/07/03/providence_hoops_legend_jimmy_walker_dies_at_63/?p1=MEWell_Pos4. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
- ^ There were two awardees, as Scanlon chose to play in the Canadian Football League and McGriff was named as a replacement.
- ^ Two Mr. Irrelevants resulted because original selection Washburn could not attend training camp because of a back injury. Kenney was named as a replacement as a result.
