Indianapolis Colts Owner and CEO Jim Irsay recently donated $10,000 to a few select charities in honor of a long-standing NFL tradition many may not know about called Irrelevant Week. This weeklong celebration was founded by former USC football star and Baltimore Colts wide receiver and kickoff returner Paul Salata in 1976 following that year’s NFL draft. Irrelevant Week was put into place in order to recognize the final pick of the draft, also known as the Underdog.
When it all began in 1976 University of Dayton wide receiver, Kelvin Kirk, was the last selection of the NFL Draft. Afterwards, Salata invited Kirk and his family to Orange County, California, specifically Newport Beach, to spend the week participating in activities to celebrate his achievement. During Irrelevant week, the last draft pick, their family, and the public are invited to join in on events such as a golf tournament, a regatta and a sports banquet.
This event has been going on now for 37 years in Orange County and Irrelevant Week is now largely a way to raise money for charity. This year, the Indianapolis Colts had the last pick of the draft, choosing quarterback Chandler Harnish from the Northern Illinois Huskies. For this reason, Irsay felt as though it was his organization’s duty to donate to various charities in honor of Harnish and Irrelevant Week.
The $10,000 donated by the Colts will be given to the following charities: the Goodwill Fitness Center in Orange County, California, the R.M. Pyles Camp and the Radio Isotope Therapy of America. The Colts are living up to the motto of Irrelevant Week, which is “Doing something nice for someone for no reason”. This week has blossomed into a major event and has raised thousands of dollars for various charities, all while celebrating the Underdog of the NFL draft each year.