Tim Toone says people give him strange looks in Ogden, Utah. It’s a conservative town, and Toone usually catches people by surprise because of his hairdo. There aren’t too many white men with dreadlocks in Ogden.
But Toone appears to have a flair for being different. On Sunday, at the end of the NFL Draft, Toone became unique again.
The Detroit Lions picked him with the 255th and dead-last selection, making him Mr. Irrelevant XXXV. Yes, Mr. Irrelevant is a white man with dreadlocks.
However, Toone won’t look out of place in Newport Beach, where Irrelevant Week will be on hand, June 21 through 25.
He’ll be celebrated, honored and roasted throughout the week. People will be sure to notice his dreads, as well as his chiseled jaw. Because of those features, he says many people call him, “Tarzan.”
He’s excited to swing into Newport Beach in two months.
“I’m ready to come down and have some fun,” said Toone, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound receiver who left Weber State as the all-time leader in pass receptions (206), receiving yards (3,607) and touchdown catches (29). “I’m so blessed right now. I worked hard for everything I earned. This is the tip of the iceberg. I’m starting a new life. I’m just super excited. I just think [the Mr. Irrelevant concept is] hilarious. I’m honored to be Mr. Irrelevant this year.”
Paul Salata, 83, a Newport Beach resident, created the concept 35 years ago, basing the idea on doing something nice for someone for no reason at all. He announced the pick at Radio City Music Hall in New York to end the draft.
This year, Salata is trying to keep Irrelevant Week in Newport Beach permanently by forming a partnership with the NFL.
He hopes having Toone as the poster boy will help. It doesn’t hurt that his background meshes well with Irrelevant Week. He is the second Weber State football player to be Mr. Irrelevant, as Cam Quayle, also of the Wildcats, was the draft’s final pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 1998.
Toone is also the fifth Mr. Irrelevant in Lions’ history. In 2007, Detroit picked Ramzee Robinson, who didn’t last with the Lions and is now trying to stay in the league with the Cleveland Browns.
