History has not been kind to “Mr. Irrelevant” — the final player selected in the NFL Draft dating back to the 1976 season. However, New York Giants seventh-round draft pick Tae Crowder is not shying away from the title in his quest to rewrite history.
“At first, I knew about Mr. Irrelevant but I didn’t know all of the stuff that came with it. It’s pretty special for me and my family. We’ll have fun with it,” Crowder said during a conference call earlier this week. “They called me right after the draft and we kind of talked about everything, but I’m not sure when I’ll be able to actually do it. I think they’ll reach out to me, I guess, when everything clears up. We’ll just have to find a way to plan it with my family.”
The usual celebration for Mr. Irrelevant includes a week-long event in Newport Beach where the rookie draft pick rubs elbow with celebrities, plays a free round of golf and even marshals a parade at Disneyland.
That may or may not happen for Crowder due to the coronavirus pandemic and the impact it has had, but he’s intent on rolling with the punches. Ultimately, it’s what happens when he arrives in East Rutherford that truly matters.
“I’m an aggressive player, a disciplined player,” Crowder said. “A hard-working player and I like to make plays for the team. I can play Sam, I can play Will and Mike. I’m pretty good in coverage. I love to fit the run and I love to cover backs, too.”
Crowder will also benefit from seeing a few familiar faces in the locker-room — former Georgia teammates DeAndre Baker, Lorenzo Carter and Andrew Thomas.
“It’s just a dream come true,” Crowder said. “We know how each other works. It will be fun catching up, going to work with them and being on the field with each other once again.”
Mr. Irrelevant often faces long odds and rarely ends up with the team who drafted him, but Crowder is itching to break that mold and become the most relevant final draft pick ever.
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