Irrelevant Week Organizers Getting Ready To Meet Next Mr. Irrelevant

By Elizabeth Ireland, Times of San Diego

April 27, 2023

Melanie Fitch, CEO of Irrelevant Week, which annually celebrates the person chosen with the last pick in the NFL Draft, met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Wednesday, and he joked, “Mel, now you’re relevant.”

The NFL’s boss was acknowledging how last year’s “Mr. Irrelevant,” Brock Purdy, led the San Francisco 49ers to the NFC championship game after the team lost its starter and backup signal callers to injury.

“I said, ‘Yeah, after last year now we’re relevant,'” Fitch told City News Service from Kansas City, where the draft will be held. “He said, I’ve always thought you were relevant.'”‘

Fitch added, “The last guy should be treated like the first guy. He has a chance, and this year he did. Now people are talking about making movies, and all right, here we go.”

Purdy didn’t let the sudden thrust into the spotlight go to his head, Fitch said. He and his parents kept in touch with Fitch.

“He would call us before the games,” she said. “It was fun to keep in touch with him and his family.”

Purdy was “in the zone” immediately before games and avoided “interviews and reading the papers,” Fitch said.

“He wanted to stay in focus,” she said.

She noted that when her husband had open heart surgery, Purdy called to check on him.

“He was a great person to celebrate,” Fitch said. “His family was appreciative to come out to Newport Beach.”

Purdy is now intensely focused on rehabbing his surgically repaired elbow, Fitch said.

She said Purdy represents a trend in the NFL with players selected on third day of the draft succeeding more often than past years.

“When Brock came out of Iowa State he had broken like 14 records,” she said. “He was established as far as all that.”

This year, the Houston Texans hold the final pick on Saturday, but Fitch isn’t sure if they’ll hold on to it. The draft begins Thursday.

“I don’t think they’re going to keep the last pick,” she said, adding she feels the team may package it with other picks in a trade.

As far as the Irrelevant Week activities go, the foundation is aiming to hold the festivities June 22-26, she said. Much of it depends on when the team makes the player available.

The activities largely depend on the player’s wishes, she said.

“If he likes golf we’ll set up a golf tournament. If he likes surfing we’ll set up surfing lessons,” she told CNS. “We’re pliable so we can celebrate him the way he likes to be celebrated. I’ll know more by Saturday afternoon.”

The most important thing, however, is raising money for local charities.

“We’re having fun and celebrating a player, but it really benefits a lot of charities and we’re proud to do that,” she said.

The charities expected to benefit this year are the Orange County Youth Sports Foundation, Serving People In Need and KidWorks, she said.

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