The sky was the limit.
That’s what I thought, not knowing what to expect for Irrelevant Week, five days full of different events for the last player chosen in the NFL Draft.
Arriving at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort on June 23, I could see it was a day of celebration. It was a day for Mr. Irrelevant XXXIII, David Vobora. Everything was for the 252nd pick by the St. Louis Rams.
Anticipation grew more and more as the time dwindled and the arrival of Mr. Irrelevant grew closer.
Surrounded by cheerleaders in the back of a truck, Vobora arrived wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and a ball and chain.
The atmosphere was very relaxing and fun. Everyone was there for a good time and to celebrate Vobora, the linebacker out of the University of Idaho.
He had the same idea — sky’s the limit — as me because he was actually clueless about the week for him.
“I really had no idea. I Googled it,” Vobora said about Irrelevant Week before the week-long celebration began. “I read about it. People told me about it. Still don’t know what to expect to be honest with you.”
Being showered in ball caps, shirts, and many other gifts was only Day One for Vobora, who remained calm amid the hoopla. Reporters, television cameras, city mayors and Rams fans swarmed the St. Louis Rams linebacker, wanting to find out about pro football’s favorite underdog.
“I guess the sky is the limit,” Vobora said. “All these gifts, everything, it’s just a fun time.”
More fun was ahead, two days later during a Rams Reunion and the Lowsman Banquet, which took place at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel and Spa.
Walking into a room full of former NFL Players can make you almost feel insignificant. You didn’t rush for more than 1,000 yards like Lawrence McCutcheon did with the Rams or block like lineman Rich Saul, but then you remember you’re the one that tells their story. And it’s not so bad anymore.
Being around these former players, especially Saul, a six-time Pro Bowl center for the Los Angeles Rams from 1970 to 1981, and McCutcheon, a five-time Pro Bowl running back for the Rams from 1972 to 1979, is definitely something to get used to.
I actually had the opportunity for a question-and-answer session with Saul, a Newport Beach resident who is battling cancer.
