The Kansas City Chiefs final draft pick will feel like the first pick of the 2009 NFL draft starting today in what's been dubbed as Mr. Irrelevant Week. Ryan Succop, kicker out of South Carolina, is in Newport Beach, California right now finishing up the first full day of the week long festivities.
Succop's day included an arrival party/press conference and the annual "shower of gifts", which from what I gather is just giving him a bunch of gifts. I'm sure they're nice, but it's not a fancy car or anything like that.
"They say things like, ‘Do I get a car? Do I get a Lamborghini? Do I get to meet Halle Berry?’", Melanie Fitch, daughter of Paul Salata, the first "official" Mr. Irrelevant says.
No, no cars but a Monday-Thursday week of press conferences, gifts and "Succop Surf" at the beach. At least Succop knew the value of the being Mr. Irrelevant when he was looking over the draft order on April 25th.
Succop knew that he would either be drafted on day two, or not be drafted at all. So, on Saturday night, Succop looked over every pick in round 3-7, and compared them with the teams he had worked out for, hoping to foresee where he would go. When he was finally done, Succop said that only one spot made sense, and it just so happened to be the final pick of the draft.
"Just so happened"...Okay, I'm sure he would have much rather been the 255th pick and received no celebration.
The only Mr. Irrelevant who nearly turned down the experience was coached by.....
You guessed it - Bill Belichick (in 2005), according to FailureMag.com.
"Belichick thinks Irrelevant Week is a ruse—that it doesn’t exist," explains Fitch. "And up until the last minute, the Patriots weren’t going to let Stokes attend. It was only after [then] NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue interceded that the Patriots said okay—but not for the whole week."
Succop, however, will be attending the week long event. For this week he will without a doubt be receiving more attention than any other Chiefs 2009 draft pick.
Tomorrow night we'll take a look at day two of the activities, which includes the presentation of the All Star Lowsman Trophy Banquet.