About Irrelevant Week

Irrelevant Week is a week-long celebration of the Underdog, the final pick of the NFL draft held in Orange County. Events include a golf tournament, a regatta and a sports banquet, and are open to the public. The idea for this celebration was formulated in 1976 by Irrelevant Week's founder and chief spokesperson, Paul Salata.

Salata, a former USC football standout and fan of the underdog, started the Irrelevant madness in 1976 when U. of Dayton wide receiver Kelvin Kirk was selected 487th and dead last by the Pittburgh Steelers.

Capped by the presentation of the Lowsman Trophy, many sports celebrities join in the fun of roasting and toasting the final NFL draft pick before he ventures to NFL Rookie Orientation Camp.
 

Irrelevant History:

It all began in 1976 when a totally unknown and obscure wide receiver from the almost totally unknown University of Dayton, Kelvin Kirk, became the last player selected in the NFL draft that year - Old # 487 - and he was quite shockingly invited to Newport Beach for a week of upside-down celebrating and cheering.

Thus Irrelevant Week was born.

It all transpired that historic first week just as Irrelevant Week founder Paul Salata hoped and dreamed. Hardly anyone outside of Newport Beach swooned or blinked. Few noticed. Fewer cared. Perfect. It was so irrelevant that birds didn't even sing. But some kind of strange spark was ignited. The humble essence of being irrelevant stirred souls.

And so what was originally planned to be a mere one-shot-only, once-in-a-lifetime brief flight into happy lunacy lingered and survived and grew beyond belief or reason.

If that's the ultimate amazement, so be it. Despite its innate humility, despite its unholier-than-thou theme and despite its delightfully miserable lower-than-low self-esteem, Irrelevant Week in Newport Beach, California, USA, has mushroomed into one of the sporting world's most popular events - ranking right up there with Super Bowl Week, Final Four Week, Kentucky Derby Week and shooting sharks in a barrel.

Once Irrelevant Week hit age 20, it became rather obvious that it will never go away. It's here to stay.
 

The Lowsman Trophy

Symbolic of Irrelevant Week's celebration of the underdog, the Lowsman Trophy is presented to Mr. Irrelevant at the annual All-Star Sports Banquet held during this special week.

Irrelevant Week's answer to the Heisman Trophy, the Lowsman Trophy was first presented to Mr. Irrelevant in 1979. The trophy depicts a football player fumbling a football, and honors the "non-achievements" of the NFL draft's final pick.
 

Famous guests who have attended the gala award presentation event include ex-Dallas Cowboy Paul MacDonald; Jesse Sapolu and Mike Wilson, both members of four San Francisco 49er Super Bowl teams; Jackie Slater, all-time great from the Rams; former 49er and UCLA coach Terry Donahue; NFL official Jim Tunney; Olympian Sammy Lee; former Raider Ben Davidson; former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst Sean Salisbury; Rich Saul from the Rams; super agent Leigh Steinberg; coach John Robinson; Chargers' GM Bobby Beathard; as well as Peter Ueberroth, Vince Ferragamo, Lynn Swann, Merlin Olsen and others.

Tickets for the All-Star Sports Banquet are still available; contact the Irrelevant Week Headquarters at (949) 263-0727 for more information.