Mr. Irrelevance is Gaining Revelance

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Every year one player is bestowed the honor of being named Mr. Irrelevant, the last player selected in the NFL draft. The somewhat dubious distinction of being the last player selected has, in the past, meant very little other than being the answer to a trivia question.

The term Mr. Irrelevant began to grow popularity in 1976 when Paul Salata, a wide receiver with the Baltimore Colts and San Francisco 49ers, created Irrelevant week as a tribute to the last player selected in the draft.

During the week-long celebration, the current Mr. Irrelevant is awarded the Lowsman Trophy, a parody of the Heisman trophy, depicting a football player fumbling a ball.

Though the majority of the players have not had much success after earning the Mr. Irrelevant honor, there have been a couple of players who have made a name for themselves.

One Mr. Irrelevant that gained notoriety was Ramzee Robinson, drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2007. Robinson’s claim to fame came during the Week 13 game against the Green Bay Packers of the 2008 NFL season.

Robinson taunted and danced around Packers wide receiver James Jones after an incomplete pass on a fourth down play. As a result of his antics, Robinson was nailed with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty, giving the Packers a first down. The Packers went on to defeat the Lions and ensure they finished the season 0-16.

Marty Moore earned the title of Mr. Irrelevant in the 1994 when he was drafted by the New England Patriots. Moore decided to prove he was more than just a fad and played in the NFL for 8 seasons. Aside from having a lengthy career, Moore earned the distinction of being the first Mr. Irrelevant to play in a Super Bowl.

Last year’s Mr. Irrelevant was David Vobora, who was drafted by the St. Louis Rams. Vobora was unable to crack the first string of the Rams, but did find himself starting a game during week 13 last season. At the start of the 2009 season, Vobora is slated to be the second string middle linebacker for St. Louis.

This year’s Mr. Irrelevant is Ryan Succop, a kicker from the University of South Carolina. Succop, a 6-2, 215-pounder with an average leg was chosen by the Kansas City Chiefs with the 256th pick.

During his senior year at South Carolina, Succop made all 30 extra point attempts and 20-of-30 field goals, including a 54-yarder. Succop was 9-of-12 between 40-49 yards and 1-of-4 beyond 50 yards.

With the state of the economy, every team will be keeping a tighter grip on their money. We’ve already seen teams willing to take a lower selection in the top rounds to have more draft picks in the later rounds.

This is especially important regarding contracts The monetary difference between a first-round pick and a third-round pick is roughly $11,256,000. Suffice it to say, that figure is reduced dramatically lower when negotiating terms with a seventh-round pick.

Check out the Irrelevant week web site for past Mr. Irrelevant’s and other facts.