Irelevant Week: Cardinal rule

Barry Faulkner

Tevita Ofahengaue was predictably excited about being the final

pick in the 2001 NFL Draft Sunday, chosen 246th by the Arizona Cardinals

to become Mr. Irrelevant XXVI.

But, perhaps equally excited in his Provo, Utah household were his

four kids, who will be accompanying the 6-foot-2, 254-pound tight end to

Newport Beach, June 18-25, for the annual Irrelevant Week festivities

that include a trip to newly opened Disney’s California Adventure.

“A free vacation, plus my kids get to go see Mickey (Mouse),” said

Ofahengaue, known to his former Brigham Young University teammates as

T-bone. “I’m excited.”

Ofahengaue was less than thrilled as the seventh and final round of

the draft wound down, especially after Jacksonville, which had shown the

most pre-draft interest, concluded its selections without tabbing the

26-year-old native of Tonga, who grew up in Hawaii.

“My wife (Carey) and I had our own little war room and we were

following along watching the draft on TV,” Ofahengaue said. “I had some

friends over, because I was expecting to be drafted. But, with two picks

left, I turned the TV off. Then, I saw the Arizona Cardinals on my

(telephone) caller ID and it was their coaches telling me they had

drafted me.

“The tight ends coach (Pete Hoener) sounded excited and I was really

excited,” Ofahengaue said. “I told him he had his starting tight end for

next season. Then, as soon as I got off the phone, my wife and I started

looking into who they had at tight end.

“Just remember,” Ofahengaue said, paraphrasing a biblical reference to

describe his plans to crack the Cardinals’ depth chart. “The first is

last and the last is first.”

The Cardinals, 3-13 a year ago, tying Cleveland for the second worst

record in the NFL (behind San Diego’s 1-15 mark), currently have three

tight ends on the roster, including incumbent starter Terry Hardy, a

four-year veteran out of Southern Mississippi who caught 17 passes for

160 yards and one touchdown last season.

Tywan Mitchell, a rookie last season out of Mankato State in

Minnesota, caught five passes for 80 yards, while Jay Tant, a rookie out

of Northwestern, caught one pass for 4 yards, before sustaining a

season-ending knee injury in the ninth game.

Ofahengaue, a three-year starter for the Cougars, had at least one

reception in all 12 games last season. His 22 catches for 305 yards was

good enough to earn him second-team All-Mountain West Conference laurels.

That Ofahengaue is even in a position to land an NFL job reveals that

the former walk-on followed the “my advice to youngsters” he provided in

one BYU media publication: Nothing is impossible.

“I got married my junior year in high school (at Kahuku High in Oahu,

which has won nine state football titles), so, after I graduated in 1992,

I had no plans to even go to college,” Ofahengaue said. “I worked quite a

few jobs, then I moved our family to Dallas to take a (baggage handler)

job for American Airlines.

But, my brother, Kelepi (then a BYU linebacker) and (then-BYU tight

end) Itula Mili (now a member of the Seattle Seahawks) talked me into

coming out for the team. I walked on that year (1997), earned a

scholarship, then started the next three years.”

Ofahengaue, who earned his degree in social work, with a minor in

coaching, is currently working on a masters in special education. He has

plans to work with troubled youth and is currently organizing his own

youth foundation. But, he’ll put that on hold to try to contribute to the

Cardinals.

“I’m excited to get to Phoenix. I’ve been working out twice a day,

every day,” said Ofahengaue, who first learned about the Mr. Irrelevant

title when it went to Cam Quayle, out of Ogden-based Weber State, in

1998.

“The Irrelevant (organizers) must love Utah,” Ofahengaue said with a

laugh. “Even playing college football was something I didn’t plan on.

Now, to be Mr. Irrelevant ... If I was writing a book, my book would be

closed.”

The Irrelevant Week folks, headed by event founder Paul Salata, who

announced the pick Sunday at Madison Square Garden, will likely come to

love Ofahengaue’s effusive personality.

Ofahengaue, along with his wife and sons Tre (age 9) and Moana (7), as

well as daughters Teilissa (3) and Teisa (1), will be the featured guests

for the weeklong celebration of the underdog. Began by Salata to “do

something nice for someone for no reason,” the event includes the Arrival

Party, the All-Star Sports Gala and Banquet, where he will be presented

the Loswman Trophy, a golf tournament, a night at the House of Blues in

Anaheim, the traditional Beercan Regatta, as well as the aforementioned

trip to the newest Disney theme park.

Ofahengaue will attempt to become the ninth Mr. Irrelevant to play in

the NFL, the fifth since 1993, when the draft was shortened to seven

rounds.

Mr. Irrelevant XXV, Mike Green, played in seven games as a defensive

back for the Chicago Bears last season, while Mr. Irrelevant XXIV, Jim

Finn, started four games last season at fullback for the Indianapolis

Colts.

Marty Moore, chosen last by the Patriots in 1994, has enjoyed the most

extensive professional career of any Mr. Irrelevant (though Bill Kenney,

who came to Newport Beach in place of the 1978 final pick, Lee Washburn,

made the Pro Bowl as a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs). Moore has

played seven seasons at linebacker for the Patriots and Browns. He

started nine games for Cleveland last season.

Ronnie McAda, a quarterback out of Army chosen last by the Packers in

1997, has yet to play an NFL game. But he was signed as a free agent in

the offseason by the Denver Broncos.