This Story is Totally Irrelevant

A beach bash honoring the last player chosen in the NFL draft kicks off in Newport Beach on Monday.

Mr. Irrelevant, a.k.a. Cheta Ozougwu, a Rice University linebacker picked by the Houston Texans, will arrive by boat at the for the , where he will be showered with gifts.

Ozougwu, the son of Nigerian immigrants, said he found out about Irrelevant Week a couple of weeks before the April draft, where he was the 254th pick.

"I had no idea it'd be me, but I'm definitely thankful for it,'' he said.

Proceeds from the 36th annual Irrelevant Week will benefit the Goodwill Fitness Center in Santa Ana, Orange County's only fitness center designed for people with a physical disability or chronic illness.

On Wednesday, Ozougwu will be presented with the Lowsman Trophy, a spoof of the Heisman Trophy that depicts a player fumbling a football--and get roasted at an Irrelevant Week at the .

Speakers at the dinner will include former USC and Los Angeles Rams coach John Robinson, Pro Football Hall of Famers Ron Mix and Ron Yary, and two-time Olympic gold medal-winning diver Sammy Lee.

Irrelevant Week concludes Thursday with a barbecue and regatta at the .

Irrelevant Week founder Paul Salata, who played end for USC and three NFL teams, said he conceived the event after noticing "how people going to halls of fame always thanked the little guy who helped them along the way, but nobody ever honors them. So I got to thinking, who's the ultimate underdog? It's the last guy picked in the NFL draft.''

For more information, visit irrelevantweek.com, or call 949-263-0727.

-- City News Service and Patch staff reports