This weekend will mark 81 years since Phil Flanagan was selected with the 81st overall pick of the inaugural NFL draft.
When Flanagan was taken by the New York Giants out of Holy Cross with the last pick of the 1936 draft, the offensive guard couldn’t have known that he’d annually share a moniker with dozens of players throughout the next eight decades as history’s original “Mr. Irrelevant.”
Mr. Irrelevant, the term synonymous with the last pick in the draft, has a long and colorful tradition.
It’s been fought over, particularly in 1979 when the Rams and Steelers quibbled over the right to draft Mr. Irrelevant, thus creating the NFL’s “Salata Rule,” which prevents teams from deferring picks to get the last selection.
It’s been dubbed upon players and people who went on to greater things. Jimmy Walker was 1967’s Mr. Irrelevant. The universe cosmically balanced itself, however, when the Villanova wide receiver was selected No. 1 in that year’s NBA Draft. Walker went on to become a two-time NBA All-Star in eight seasons in the association with the Pistons, Rockets and Kings.
It’s even earned its own week of festivities that is recognized by the NFL. This year’s party will celebrate its 40th anniversary from June 3-5 in Newport Beach, Calif., and come replete with the standard Balboa Island Parade, beach party, and awarding of the Lowsman Award — a Heisman-inspired trophy of a player fumbling the ball.
There’s a fraternal bond shared by each Mr. Irrelevant. Its connections across generations have familiar ties to the SEC.
The conference has seen eight of its players selected last in an NFL draft. Here’s a look at those eight men and a reminder that, just because they’re nicknamed “Mr. Irrelevant,” that doesn’t mean they didn’t go on to do things that truly mattered.
TE Justice Cunningham, South Carolina
2013 – Indianapolis Colts
Cunningham is the most recent SEC player to be crowned Mr. Irrelevant after the Colts selected him No. 254 overall in the 2013 draft. Cunningham has one career target, but he made good on it with a 4-yard reception. It could be an Moonlight Graham-type situation for Cunningham, however, as he doesn’t appear to be gaining any traction in the NFL after just four games in three seasons with the Colts and Rams.
Cunningham was the second Gamecock taken as Mr. Irrelevant in a five-year span, following …
PK Ryan Succop, South Carolina
2009 – Kansas City Chiefs
Succop might arguably be the best Mr. Irrelevant to crack an NFL lineup. The league named the South Carolina kicker to its 2009 All-Rookie team after the Kansas City Chiefs plucked him out of Columbia with the No. 256 overall pick. Succop remains a starting kicker in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans, finishing No. 39 in the NFL in scoring last year with 71 points — ahead of Antonio Brown, Rob Gronkowski and Adrian Peterson, for what it’s worth.
CB Ramzee Robinson, Alabama
2007 – Detroit Lions
Robinson found a way to make himself relevant, but not in a good way. The last pick of the 2007 draft by the Detroit Lions (No 255 overall), Robinson is notorious for drawing a taunting flag on Green Bay’s James Jones during the final game of the 2008 season. The Lions went on to lose that game, completing their notorious 0-16 season. The Alabama alum played in seven games between the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns in 2009 but hasn’t played since.
LB Marty Moore, Kentucky
1994 – New England Patriots
Moore was the first Mr. Irrelevant to play in a Super Bowl, when the No. 222 overall pick in the 1994 draft earned a ring as a member of the New England Patriots’ first of several title-winning teams in Super Bowl 36. He survived eight years in the NFL with the Pats and Browns, garnering three career interceptions, a pair of forced fumbles, and sack to go along with 112 tackles in 110 games.
And while his stats as a pro aren’t overwhelming breathtaking, Moore should wear his Mr. Irrelevant title as a term of endearment to go along with his nomination in the Kentucky Football Hall of Fame.
DB Norman Jefferson, LSU
1987 – Green Bay Packers
Jefferson left a distinguished career in Death Valley with 10 interceptions and fairly decent kick-return acumen with close to 600 career special teams yards. But those accolades didn’t translate into success on Sundays, or a rather high draft pick, for that matter. The Packers selected him with the No. 335 overall pick in the 1987 draft, but Mr. Irrelevant failed to perform a Lambeau Leap. Jefferson’s hands were his downfall, fumbling five times despite the fact that he only returned six kickoffs and five punt returns over two years attempting to entertain Cheese Heads.
DT Donald Chumley, Georgia
1985 – San Francisco 49ers
Chumley’s career in San Francisco didn’t amount to much after the 49ers tabbed him with the No. 336 overall pick in the 1985 draft. He caught on later that year with the Calgary Stampeders, where the native of Hamburg, Germany, registered 2.0 sacks in his lone season in the Canadian Football League. His greatest impact has come as a coach on the high school level. Chumley is 77-14 during seven seasons as head coach at Savannah Christian (Ga.) Prep — where he is the incumbent Savannah Morning News Football Coach of the Year.
FB/DB Tommy Bronson, Tennessee
1958 – Detroit Lions
Bronson opted to go into the Army after leaving Tennessee, rather than test his mettle in the NFL after the Detroit Lions drafted him No. 360 overall during the 1958 draft. His impact on his Volunteerz alumni was anything but irrelevant. His son Tom also played for the Vols. In 2007, the school renamed the locker room inside Neyland-Thompson Sports Center Stadium in Bronson’s and teammate Bill Johnson’s honor.
C Lamar Leachman, Tennessee
1955 – Cleveland Browns
Leachman failed to catch on with Cleveland, after the Browns took him with the last pick (No. 360) in the 1955 draft. Like fellow Mr. Irrelevant Donald Chumley, Leachman — who held the Georgia preps rushing record until Herschel Walker broke it — played briefly with the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL.
Unlike Donald Chumley, however, whose career led him to the high school ranks, Leachman began his life on the sidelines on the preps level in Savannah.
From there, Leachman would go on to win a Super Bowl as a defensive line coach with the New York Giants under then defensive coordinator Bill Belichick. The man affectionately known as “Swamp Rat” passed away in October of 2012, leaving behind a legacy that was anything but irrelevant.
Chris Wuensch is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers South Carolina and Tennessee.
