Virgen: Reed in spotlight during Irrelevant Week
There was no fear for Kalan Reed when he took his surfboard and hit the waves at 30th Street in Newport Beach on Saturday morning. But you could say there was uneasiness.
Reed, Mr. Irrelevant XLI out of Southern Mississippi, knew he wanted to try surfing for the first time in his life when he learned more and more about Irrelevant Week. He said he just wanted to have fun with the experience of being the last pick of the NFL Draft and then being celebrated in Newport Beach, from the idea of Paul Salata, a Newport Beach resident.
Sailing was an option, but Reed quickly turned that down because he knew the sea would make him sick. Attempting to surf seemed like it would be fun, and it was for Reed.
It also proved to be challenging. That’s actually nothing new, as he went back to proving himself as a 5-foot-11, 195-pound cornerback for the Tennessee Titans on Monday as part of Offseason Team Activities.
“I wasn’t scared. It was just really tiring,” Reed said of surfing. “I knew when I got up I was about to fall. I was like, ‘Ahhh! I’m going down!’ I had to protect myself. I learned I need way more help in surfing.”
Morgan Craig, a former Newport Harbor High quarterback who was a USC walk-on, was there to teach Reed about riding waves. Craig grew up in Newport Beach. He said as an 8-year-old he would hit the beach frequently with his father, Earl.
Craig did his best to simulate surfing as he wanted Reed to stand up on the board while on the sand. But Reed basically thought that was irrelevant.
Reed actually did an excellent job of surfing for his first go at it. His athleticism must’ve helped. His greatest attributes are his speed (4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash) and jumping ability (a 41-1/2-inch vertical jump), but his agility helped him amid the waves.
It was a fun part of the weekend for Reed, who accepted the Lowsman Trophy on Friday and went on his way for some adventure on Saturday.
In addition to being roasted and toasted at the Newport Beach Marriott on Friday night, Reed was also a featured guest/participant at GRIT Cycle, for a spin session. He also visited the NFL Network studios in Culver City, where he was he was interviewed on the NFL Total Access show.
Reed called that the highlight of his trip. But there were several fun moments, and many that were for charities.
Before taking on the waves, Reed was part of the CdM Scenic 5K. Then after surfing, he had a beach house party and then another party at Cruisers at Balboa Pier. At Cruisers, Reed received several gifts as part of a makeshift Arrival Party.
Reed had a tight schedule. He left Titans OTAs on Thursday and had to return to the team right after being in the Balboa Island Parade on Sunday morning. That meant there was no trip to Disneyland or being featured at an Angels game, where Mr. Irrelevant usually drags the infield.
Reed and his entourage of his family made the best of it with a pub crawl on Saturday afternoon that started at Mutt Lynch’s, went to Sharkees and ended at Blue Beet.
“It’s a fun experience,” Reed said of Irrelevant Week. “Waking up early, that was hard. But everything we did was fun. The pub crawl was a lot of fun.”
By the time Reed got to Blue Beet, the mild-mannered 22-year-old came out of his shell and danced to music with his family. He was also a judge for four women, competing to become Miss Irrelevant.
Jocelyn Daniel of Costa Mesa was crowned the winner with a check for $253, because Mr. Irrelevant was the No. 253rd pick of the draft. Reed didn’t mind sharing the spotlight. He said he had never received so much attention because of playing football.
That doesn’t necessarily mean he was expecting to be a late-round draft pick. Many of Reed’s family members that came for Irrelevant Week were also watching the NFL Draft at a gathering at Reed’s grandparents’ home in Atlanta.
They were all pretty nervous and anxious as Reed continued to slide. But they all became excited when he was drafted by the Titans. Reed, who is from Birmingham, Alabama, spent a few years in Tennessee as a child, when the Titans became his favorite team.
His mother, Keyaschei Reed, became a bit bothered since she wasn’t aware of the Mr. Irrelevant concept, but she, of course, believes in her son.
“We had heard them reference him as irrelevant a few times, and so Mama Bear kind of kicked in and I’m like, ‘I’m ready to drive to the draft and have some words,’” Keyaschei Reed said. “But we’re excited. We embraced it. I am biased about him, but anyone out there who has seen his highlights knows he has a very great shot of making it in the NFL. Even outside of that, his work ethic is great. He does the work. I really don’t know why he slipped in the draft. We kind of scratched our heads on that. I know God has a plan. Tennessee has always been his team. To be picked and go there, it happened for a reason.”
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Twitter: @SteveVirgen
