Lowsman Trophy

Richard Dunn Along with being the silver anniversary Mr. Irrelevant honoree, Northwestern State (La.) free safety Michael Green will become the 22nd player to receive the coveted Lowsman Trophy, an award at the opposite end of the college football spectrum from its more famous counterpart. Highlighting the zany, weeklong celebration of the last man picked in the NFL draft, a.k.a. Irrelevant Week, is the All-Star Sports Banquet and Lowsman Trophy presentation to Mr. Irrelevant XXV on June 21 at the Newport Beach Marriott.

Richard Dunn NEWPORT BEACH - A star-studded lineup of former NFL players, featuring former USC and Los Angeles Rams coach John Robinson, are scheduled to participate in the Irrelevant Week XXVII All-Star Celebrity Sports Banquet June 18 at the Newport Beach Marriott. The banquet, to honor Mr. Irrelevant XXVII Ahmad Miller of UNLV, is the highlight of Irrelevant Week, the world's largest celebration of the underdog, which roasts and toasts the absolute last player selected in the NFL draft.

Richard Dunn Cast among stars from the world of sports and surrounded by USC pageantry, the usual pomp of Mr. Irrelevant's center stage walked to the beat of a different drum Thursday night at the Heisman-meets-Lowsman banquet at the Anaheim Marriott. In the headline event of Irrelevant Week XXVIII, Ryan Hoag, the former NCAA Division III wide receiver, was presented the annual Lowsman Trophy from Irrelevant Week founder Paul Salata, who served as master of ceremonies and chief host of the madcap roast and toast to celebrate the dead-last pick in the NFL draft in front of a record crowd of more than 1,200.

Richard Dunn NEWPORT BEACH - Mr. Irrelevant XXVII, 6-foot-4, 320-pound former UNLV defensive end Ahmad Miller, was branded for life Tuesday night as Mr. Irrelevant. Before the official presentation of the Lowsman Trophy, Miller opened the All-Star Celebrity Sports Banquet by greeting guests throughout the ballroom at the Newport Beach Marriott. If Miller ever becomes an All-Pro player, his agent, Seth Slavin, will have hit a marketing gold mine.

NEWPORT BEACH - Ahmad Miller of UNLV has emerged as Mr. Irrelevant XXVII and will be so honored and saluted during the weeklong madcap celebration known as Irrelevant Week Monday through Friday at several famous Newport Beach landmarks. It is the 27th annual Irrelevant Week tribute to somebody, and if you've never heard of Ahmad Miller, that's the point. Miller, picked 261st and absolutely dead last in the NFL draft by the expansion Houston Texans, will be showered with gifts at the Arrival Party Monday at the Newport Dunes and roasted and toasted Tuesday at the All-Star Sports Banquet and Lowsman Trophy presentation at the Newport Beach Marriott.

After being selected No. 262 by the Raiders as the absolute dead-last pick in the 2003 NFL draft, former Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) receiver Ryan Hoag will officially be honored as Mr. Irrelevant XXVIII, beginning today at the Arrival Party at the Newport Dunes. The Arrival Party, including the customary showering of gifts and cheerleader escort, kicks off many of the Irrelevant Week traditions. Mickey Mouse is also scheduled to join the festivities today, which begin at 5:30 p.m. Hoag will receive the Lowsman Trophy at a banquet Thursday that will also feature Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer, picked No. 1 overall by the Bengals out of USC.

For the first time ever, the winner of college football's Heisman Trophy and possible first pick in the NFL draft will be honored alongside the final selection -- also known as Mr. Irrelevant -- when festivities get underway in June in Newport Beach. USC quarterback Carson Palmer -- last season's Heisman Trophy winner -- will be toasted at the annual banquet that celebrates the last pick in the NFL draft with the Lowsman Trophy. The Orange County Youth Sports Foundation will honor Palmer and Mr. Irrelevant at a banquet scheduled for June 26 at a hotel to be determined.

Richard Dunn To cap Irrelevant Week XXVI, BYU tight end and hopeful Arizona Cardinal Tevita Ofahengaue will be the featured guest today in the inaugural Survivor Challenge at Palace Park in Irvine. The Challenge consists of teams of four in perfectly irrelevant events like wacky golf, bumper boat relays, go-cart races, laser tag and other virtual reality games. Try your skills against Mr. Irrelevant while competing for immunity, food and other benefits befitting a true "survivor."

Where will the "Happiest Place on Earth" be this week? No, not Disneyland, although it is also in Orange County. It will be in Newport Beach, as the annual wackiness known as Irrelevant Week takes place at multiple venues. "Doing something nice for no good reason" is the motivation that Paul Salata used for inspiration back in 1976 when he decided to honor the dead last player taken in the NFL Draft. He created the "Lowsman Trophy" as the award, which features a bronze rendition of a player fumbling a football.

The Houston Texas have been awarded the last pick in this month's NFL Draft, giving the organization the right to select the next Mr. Irrelevant with the 253rd overal selection. Newport Beach is gearing up to celebrate Mr. Irrelevant, who has been getting showered with gifts for the past 35 years. The last player chosen in the draft is expected to come to town in June and have a weeklong party, known as Irrelevant Week, thrown in his honor for no apparent reason. "Everything's bigger in Texas," said Paul Salata, the Irrelevant Week founder, in a press release.

There they were last year, the pride of Hickory, North Carolina: the popular comedian nailing the punch lines, a retired race-car driver laughing with a sense of bittersweetness along with an up-and-coming kicker who would somehow become irrelevant. The scene unfolded, as Jon Reep, who likes to joke about his hometown, tried to give his best set for his buddy Dale Jarrett of NASCAR fame and his friend Ryan Succop, now known as Mr. Irrelevant XXXIV. Reep delivered the goods that night last year at Jarrett’s retirement party.

Most of the crew on ESPN laughed after the final pick was announced in the NFL Draft in April. It’s usually a funny time when Paul Salata walks up to the podium and reads the name of the man who will be celebrated for being Mr. Irrelevant, the dead last pick. But not every one on the ESPN crew laughed. Mel Kiper Jr., big hair and all, nodded his head as if the St. Louis Rams made a great pick: David Vobora. Apparently, this dude’s no joke. Kiper proceeded to spout off about Vobora’s ability and background and then said he would be surprised if he didn’t make the team.

Alicia Robinson While the smell of athletes' sweat will be mercifully absent, the jocular, back-slapping atmosphere of the locker room will prevail at a fete tonight highlighting Mr. Irrelevant, the NFL's last draft pick. At tonight's "Lowsman trophy" banquet, the centerpiece event of Irrelevant Week, honoree Andre Sommersell will be roasted in the presence of his family, past NFL greats and football enthusiasts of Newport-Mesa. Sommersell is a defensive end and linebacker who attended Estancia High School as a freshman and sophomore.

Alicia Robinson Successful business owners don't often dawdle in irrelevant matters, but once a year many of them delve into irrelevant events for the sake of charity. Every year since 1976, Newport Beach has celebrated the last player to be picked in the NFL draft and dubbed him Mr. Irrelevant. This year, Irrelevant Week celebrates a local. Colorado State University defensive end and linebacker Andre Sommersell, who attended Estancia High School for his freshman and sophomore years, was the last draft pick for 2004.

JIM DE BOOM Andre Sommersell, a 6-foot, 2-inch, 235-pound outside linebacker from Colorado State was selected No. 255 by the Oakland Raiders, the final pick in 2004 NFL Draft held in New York City, automatically becoming Mr. Irrelevant XXIX. Sommersell's achievement will be celebrated in a week-long series of events beginning at 5:30 p.m. June 21 with the arrival party and press conference sponsored by the Commodores Club of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce at the Newport Dunes Resort.

Richard Dunn Cast among stars from the world of sports and surrounded by USC pageantry, the usual pomp of Mr. Irrelevant's center stage walked to the beat of a different drum Thursday night at the Heisman-meets-Lowsman banquet at the Anaheim Marriott. In the headline event of Irrelevant Week XXVIII, Ryan Hoag, the former NCAA Division III wide receiver, was presented the annual Lowsman Trophy from Irrelevant Week founder Paul Salata, who served as master of ceremonies and chief host of the madcap roast and toast to celebrate the dead-last pick in the NFL draft in front of a record crowd of more than 1,200.

Richard Dunn Mr. Irrelevant XXVIII, Ryan Hoag of Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., knew Irrelevant Week was "legit," but he "wasn't quite sure if it was roasting or toasting" that was going on to celebrate and absolute dead-last pick in the NFL draft. "I think they're genuine when you talk to people and they say they're really wanting you to succeed," added Hoag, who will be roasted and toasted tonight in the headliner event of Irrelevant Week, the annual banquet to honor Mr. Irrelevant.

Richard Dunn When the Heisman Trophy winner meets the Lowsman Trophy winner Thursday night for Irrelevant Week, the two former college football players -- USC quarterback Carson Palmer and NCAA Division III Gustavus Adolphus College wide receiver Ryan Hoag, respectively -- might be closer in NFL potential than most people think. Hoag, you see, could fit well in the Oakland Raiders' offense in "about three or four years," after the team's current wide receivers, future Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Tim Brown, consider retiring.