In the 1976 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers were the first team to ever select Mr. Irrelevant. 33 Years later, no one would have imagined that the Steelers would regret being the trend setter.

Ryan Succop, the 254th overal pick in the NFL draft this year became the 4th “Mr. Irrelevant” to ever start in the NFL. For those who don’t know what that is, “Mr. Irrelevant” is the player who is picked very last in the draft every year. Oddly enough, the NFL actually gives a prize pack away to the player who is picked last. The NFL will give the “winner” is a week long expense-paid vacation, where they hold events to celebrate the players “irrelevance” in the draft, and even give the player a “fake” trophy that resembles the Heisman Trophy(which is the NCAA’s MVP trophy.)

Ironically, the trend started in 1976, when the Steelers selected University of Dayton wide receiver Kelvin Kirk. Since then, only four players have ever started an NFL game. Those players being Succop, linebacker Dave Vobora(2008 with the St Louis Rams), fullback Jim Finn, quarterback Bill Kenney (for the Chiefs) and safety Mike Green. Since 1976, Only one player has been part of a Super Bowl team(Marty Moore was in 2007 for the Patriots), and only one has been in the Pro Bowl (Billy Kenney did in 1983 as the Chiefs quarterback).

So what is it about the Mr. Irrelevant? How is this for irony. Not only do the Chiefs organization have the only pro bowler in Mr Irrelevant history, but Ryan Succop plays an interesting part in the irony. Take a look at this.

1976 Mr Irrelevant? Kelvin Kirk, selected by who? The Pittsburgh Steelers.

2009 Mr Irrevelant? Ryan Succop. His hometown?  Pittsburgh, PA

2009 Chiefs vs Steelers? The Chiefs are lifted over the Steelers by a game winning field goal by who? None other than Mr Irrelevant, Ryan Succop.

Who would’ve thought that Ryan Succop as a kid could have dreamt of becoming an NFL player someday, only to be reason of defeat for his hometown team? So much for being Mr Irrelevant huh?

Speaking of Irrelevant, I think it’s about time the NFL stop naming him “Mr Irrelevant” and give the infamous nickname to about half of the NFL. I could think of about a dozen teams that could’ve used a good kicker, which leads me to question why so many teams passed on him. While I’m on the subject of irony and Succop, Pittsburgh is one of those teams that desperately needs a kicker. Jeff Reed is far from the placekicker he was, and his kick-off’s are below average(He only averages 60 yards a kickoff, that’s last in the league). His inability to kick the ball off inside the 10 or to the endzone is causing the Steelers a lot of problems on special teams, and his inability to stop the kick returners coming (literally) straight at him are really hurting the Steelers,(Maybe he should start imagining the oppposing kick returners are towel dispensers? Who knows.)

Looking back at Succop’s success this year, It’s easy to say he’s anything but “irrelevant.” Succop is currently 16/20 on FG’s. His misses are 53 yards(but was blocked by Dallas), 56 yards, 52 yards, and 43 yards. Ryan Succop’s average miss (not counting the blocked FG) is 50.3 yards. Pretty impressive if you ask me. Not only has Succop exceeded any expectation from a rookie kicker this year, but he’s impressing the team and the league with his kickoffs as well.

Succop is currently ranked 12th in the NFL in average distance in kickoffs with 67.9 yards per kickoff, which is only 4 yards behind Rhys Lloyd in every day kickers. What’s more impressive is in his 35 kick-offs this year (not including any onside kicks) 19 of his kicks have gone for over 70 yards, which ranks in the top five in average distance amongst all kickers.

Although the Chiefs already had the first Pro Bowl Mr Irrelevant in 1983, they may have drafted not only the best “Mr Irrelevant” of all-time, but possibly a future top kicker in the NFL. It was only seven months ago that Succop enjoyed his week in the spotlight as Mr. Irrelevant, and was (for obvious reasons) the least hyped pick by the Chiefs. Who would have thought back in April that seven months later, “Mr Irrelevant” would have turned out to be arguably the best pick for the Chiefs in 2009, and possibly the steal of the NFL Draft.