Remembering the man who started ‘Mr. Irrelevant’

After further review ... I had recently moved to Newport Beach in 1975 to start my new job as assistant superintendent in the Bellflower Unified School District when there was a knock on my front door.

The visitor said to me “Welcome to Newport Beach – I want to do something for someone for no good reason.”

I responded, “Sounds good to me, come on in.”

It was a friend who I had known since 1955 – Paul Salata. He and Jim Hardy, a USC teammate, gathered friends and exjocks together in the 1950s once a month. They called themselves the Pasadena Sports Ambassadors. I was invited to join them about that time. Salata was the master of ceremonies and provided a lively event.

As we sat in my living room, I asked what his plan was for doing “something for someone for no good reason?”

Salata said “I want to honor the last draft choice in the NFL. I mean, that guy never gets any recognition and has a short tenue in the NFL.”

“Like yours,” I said, teasing. Salata had played at USC with two appearances in New Years’ Rose Bowl games. Then in the NFL with the Baltimore Colts and the 49ers. He had a successful business career as a sewer contractor which he morphed into a fun career as a humorous keynote speaker.

“How will you support this and what activities will you have in store for this guy?” I asked.

“We’ll call him ‘Mr. Irrelevant,’” Salata replied. “I mean, what could be more irrelevant than the last NFL draft choice? I’m sure we can get financial backing to entertain and support him.”

We didn’t.

Salata personally funded all activities, which made for a fun week in Newport Beach. It started with an airplane trip to LAX, a helicopter ride to the John Wayne Airport in Orange County with Mr. Irrelevant and wife or girlfriend, but not both (Salata’s morals were high); then a limo ride to a first-class resort in Newport Beach; a day at Disneyland in his honor; a thoroughbred horse race at Hollywood Racetrack with a special race called, of course, Mr. Irrelevant; lots of gifts; ending it all with a banquet in his honor with 15-20 roasters – NFL explayers, coaches, sports-agent Leigh Steinberg; USC song leaders and their marching band. The evening concluded with the presentation of the ‘Lowsman Trophy’ (as opposed to the Heisman) showing the player fumbling the football. All Salata’s creation.

Salata organized and supported Mr. Irrelevant week for more than 40 years, appearing on stage every year at the NFL draft to present Mr. Irrelevant with his jersey number

usually in the high 300s.

My friend died Oct. 16 at the age of 94, a day short of his 95th birthday. His daughter Melanie Salata Fitch will carry-on the Mr. Irrelevant tradition.

Ryan Succop, the current Bucs field-goal kicker was Mr. Irrelevant #256 in the 2009 NFL draft.

Will you do something for someone for “no good reason”?

To contact Jim Tunney, go to www.jimtunney.com or emailjim@jimtunney.com.