Dates for Irrelevant Week set
The 40th Irrelevant Week is set for July 7 through July 12 in Newport Beach.
The Arizona Cardinals have been awarded what may be one of the National Football League’s most unique prizes — the right to choose the final pick in the annual draft, to be held April 30-May 2 in Chicago, Ill. It may seem a dubious distinction, but, in fact, the last player selected in the NFL Draft achieves a singular honor to become the recipient of the 40th Mr. Irrelevant title.
Sponsored by The Foundation for the Undefeated, the Mr. Irrelevant moniker is one of the NFL’s great traditions, and celebrates the underdog in everyone. In addition to the title, the lucky player also is the center of a week-long array of events and celebrations held each year, for the last four decades, in the beautiful resort town of Newport Beach.
“I started Irrelevant Week in 1976, and this year marks the celebration’s 40th anniversary,” former NFL player and founder of Irrelevant Week Paul Salata said in a press release. “After four successful decades of honoring perseverance in sports, we look forward to another successful week of bringing one of football’s most cherished heroes to see all of what Newport Beach has to offer.”
During this celebration of one of the sport’s great come-from-behind victors, Mr. Irrelevant will be toasted and roasted at an All-Star Banquet on July 10 at Balboa Bay Resort, the original host site of the first Irrelevant Week in 1976. On this special evening, Mr. Irrelevant also will receive the coveted Lowsman Trophy in the presence of past Mr. Irrelevants and other sports legends.
Throughout the rest of the week, Mr. Irrelevant will enjoy all Southern California has to offer, including visits to Disneyland and Angel Stadium and interviews with a host of media outlets including studio appearances at NFL Network.
Mr. Irrelevant also will be the Guest of Honor at the Newport Beach Community Field Day presented by Global Cash Card on July 11, where he will meet members of the local community and participate in a unified flag football game with other NFL players and athletes from Special Olympics.
The world will know the name of the 40th Mr. Irrelevant on May 2, 2015 at approximately 6pm Eastern Time, when the Arizona Cardinals make the 256th and last selection in the NFL Draft. As a note, the final pick of the NFL Draft is the result of compensatory selections that are determined by the League during the owner’s meeting.
This isn’t the Arizona Cardinals’ first Mr. Irrelevant honor. The team has another former ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ in its history, Tevita Ofahengaue, who was the 246th and final pick of the NFL Draft in 2001.
The Foundation for The Undefeated, the organization behind Irrelevant Week, hosts programs throughout the year that celebrate inspirational stories in sports at the professional and amateur level. Proceeds from Irrelevant Week support these programs as well The Foundation’s charitable designee, Special Olympics Southern California.
During the organization’s long history, the Foundation for the Undefeated has awarded more than $1 million to charities that support the perseverance of the human spirit.
For more information about Mr. Irrelevant or the Foundation for The Undefeated, visit https://www.TheUndefeated.org.
— From staff reports