Mr. Irrelevant

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"Mr. Irrelevant" is the tongue-in-cheek title bestowed each year upon the last pick of the annual National Football League draft. While the origin of the nickname is obscure, the term's meaning is obvious: the last player selected in the draft is the one most likely to be the first cut from the team, thus making him irrelevant.

The name arose in 1976, when former Southern California and NFL receiver Paul Salata founded "Irrelevant Week" in Newport Beach, California. During the summer after the NFL draft, the current Mr. Irrelevant and his family are invited to spend a weekend in Newport, where they are treated to, among other things, a roast giving "advice" to the new draftee and a ceremony awarding him the aptly named Lowsman Trophy. Salata makes an appearance at the final day of the NFL Draft to announce the final draft pick, which he has done for several years.

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 is currently a backup for the Seahawks.

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]

In the 2008 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams selected David Vobora as the new "Mr. Irrelevant" as a compensatory draft pick. Compensatory picks are awarded based on a formula that takes into account salary, playing time, and any postseason honors earned by free agents that leave or join a club in the previous offseason. This also marked the first time, since the move to St. Louis, that the Rams held the 252nd pick.

[edit] Mr. Irrelevant winners and other final selections

Year	Round	Pick	Player	Name	Team	Position	College
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*	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*	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&I
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 and references

Two Mr. Irrelevants were named in 1978 because the original selection (Washburn) could not attend training camp due to a back injury. Kenney was named as a replacement as a result.
In 1980, there were also two awardees. Scanlon chose to play in the Canadian Football League and McGriff was named as a replacement.