Goodell sends letter to Mr. Irrelevant
Even though there is a lockout in the NFL, commissioner Roger Goodell was able to provide a highlight during Irrelevant Week in Newport Beach.
Goodell sent a personal letter to Cheta Ozougwu, nicknamed Mr. Irrelevant for being the final pick in the NFL Draft, selected by the Houston Texans.
The letter was read at the Arrival Party Monday at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort, and again at the All-Star Lowsman Trophy Banquet Wednesday at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa.
Here is the letter:
Congratulations on being selected as the 36th “Mr. Irrelevant,” a unique and special annual NFL tradition.
If you can survive “Irrelevant Week,” it means you probably have the ingenuity to survive everything that head coach Gary Kubiak and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips will throw your way.
We in the NFL are proud that you are among the select group of college players drafted by NFL teams and that you also are now part of the “Irrelevant” fraternity. As other young players – such as the 34th “Mr. Irrelevant” Ryan Succop, who set a Kansas City Chiefs rookie record with 25 field goals – have discovered, it is not where you are drafted that counts. Rather, it is the strength of your commitment and your will to succeed. That will go a long way toward determining your success in life and the NFL.
We wish you much fun as “Mr. Irrelevant” and great success with the Texans.
Please extend best wishes to our many friends in Orange County.
Sincerely,
Roger Goodell