In 1976, Kelvin Kirk was taken with the 487th and final pick of the NFL Draft. Taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers out of Dayton University, Kirk would end up playing 8 seasons in the Canadian Football League where he amassed nearly 3,000 receiving yards and 20 total TDs.
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Fast forward to today and Mr. Irrelevant has become a fun way to spice up what can otherwise be a boring round seven of the NFL Draft.
But despite the jokes that inevitably come via social media after the final pick is made, these six athletes made the very most of their opportunities, including a kicker that will become a Pro Bowl mainstay if he continues to connect at a percentage similar to last season.
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Ryan Succop – South Carolina
Probably the most notable name on this list, Succop first made noise upon the NFL scene with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2009. The former two-time Second-Team All-SEC kicker tied the NFL record for highest field goal percentage by a rookie at 86.2%.
After getting cut by Kansas City in 2013, Succop has landed nicely in Tennessee going 19 for 22 in 2014, 14 for 16 in 2015, and an astounding 22 of 24 a season ago.
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Jimmy Walker – Providence
We can hear you asking, “But Providence doesn’t have a football team. How could Jimmy Walker have been Mr. Irrelevant back in 1967?”
Turns out Mr. Walker was such an incredible athlete that the New Orleans Saints took him with the final pick that year despite the fact he never played a down of football in college. It also gave Walked the unique distinction of being the only athlete ever to be drafted first in one league and last in another. That’s right, the Friars standout was taken first overall that same year by the Detroit Pistons and played in the league for a decade.
Oh, and he’s also the father of former Michigan star and NBA veteran Jalen Rose.
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Mike Green – Northwestern State
Green laughed at the moniker of Mr. Irrelevant on his way to nearly 10 seasons in the NFL, most notably with Chicago. He once recorded a 100-tackle season with the Bears and finished his career with 426 tackles, 6 sacks, and 4 interceptions.
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Marty Moore – Kentucky
Moore’s claim to fame is playing in the 1993 Peach Bowl.
We kid. Moore became the first Mr. Irrelevant to play in the Super Bowl when his New England Patriots were defeated by the Green Bay Packers in 1997.
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Jim Finn – Penn
A four-year letterman with the Quakers, Finn (#24) rushed for 2,277 yards during his college career. At the NFL level, he holds the distinction of blocking at fullback in 2005 during Tiki Barber’s 1,860-yard season. Along with Brandon Stokely, Finn is one of only two NFL players to have caught a pass from both Peyton and Eli Manning.
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David Vobora – Idaho
Vobroa would finish his NFL career with 98 tackles and 2 sacks with the St. Louis Rams where he was the squad’s starting linebacker during the 2009 season.
