Q&A: Salata excited for NFL Draft

The creator of Mr. Irrelevant and Irrelevant Week has a connection with the team making the final pick.

April 24, 2012|By Steve Virgen

Paul Salata, a Newport Beach resident, will once again… (DON LEACH, Daily…)

Paul Salata, the creator of Mr. Irrelevant, has some history with the team making the final pick in the NFL Draft that starts Thursday and ends Saturday.

Salata, a Newport Beach resident, played for the Colts when they were in Baltimore in 1950. He connected with future Hall of Fame quarterback Y.A. Tittle, catching 50 passes in 12 games after being traded from the San Francisco 49ers early in the season.

Salata, 85, likes to find connections to the team making the selection and later with the player drafted as Mr. Irrelevant.

He'll find out who that is after the Indianapolis Colts send in their pick for him to announce as the 37th Mr. Irrelevant at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

The excitement is building as the draft approaches. Salata and his staff have a contest for those who want to predict Mr. Irrelevant. The winner will win $253, as the pick is No. 253, and will also be a guest during the Lowsman Trophy All-Star Banquet in Newport Beach on June 13, when he or she will receive a prize basket.

You can enter the contest in four ways. You can email your pick to irrelevantweek@gmail.com, tweet it @irrelevantweek, post it on the Facebook Irrelevant Week fan page, or mail it to 3723 Birch St., Suite 11, Newport Beach, CA 92660.

Include your draft selection, your name, email or phone number. If there is a tie, the winner will be selected by coin flip.

Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday.

Maybe the Colts will find a receiver for their new quarterback, Andrew Luck, who they are going to take with the first pick.

Salata says his mantra is: "Hold your horses, Colts."

Salata answered a few questions from the Daily Pilot before leaving for New York.

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Question: How does it feel like to announce the last pick in the NFL Draft?

Answer: Awesome. It's overwhelming. They keep telling you, you have to be formal. There's 130 million people watching, no goofing around. There is a guy that holds up a sign, "Make It Short." I love being a part of it and so do all the people in Orange County.

Question: What should we expect from this year's announcement of the pick? I heard Will Ferrell will be a part of it. Any truth to that?

Answer: Expect? All business, as usual. I hope Mr. Irrelevant's name is easy to pronounce.

Will Ferrell is going to have to get his own program. This is about Newport Beach and Orange County and the underdog that we are supporting.

Question: What is your best memory of the NFL Draft?