The Colts selected Chandler Harnish with the 253rd and final pick of the 2012 NFL draft, handing the Northern Illinois quarterback the title of "Mr. Irrelevant" and giving him a chance to compete for a backup role behind Andrew Luck (who was selected first overall).
The title of "Mr. Irrelevant" is bestowed each year upon the last pick in the draft. That player then has a week held in his honor, called "Irrelevant Week," during which he receives a number of perks, including a trip to Disneyland to appear in the Irrelevant Week Parade in Newport Beach, Calif.
Paul Salata, a former NFL wide receiver, founded the Mr. Irrelevant Award in 1976. Kevlin Kirk, a wide receiver out of Dayton, was selected with the 487th and last pick that year. Linebacker David Vobora (2008) and kicker Ryan Succop (2009) are among recent award winners to log significant NFL playing time. And even at 85, Salata still announces the honor each season.
This year's honor given to Harnish is unique in a number of ways, though. Not only was it the first time since 1967 that a non-expansion team had the first and last picks in the draft, but Harnish finds himself heading to his hometown team.
Harnish is a native of Bluffton, Ind., and he attended Norwell High School in Ossian, Ind., before ultimately committing to Northern Illinois. When he was able to find the words following Saturday's selection, they were of pure excitement.
"I'm happy to be wanted by a team and I'm happy to be an Indianapolis Colt because that's been my favorite team all the way through," he told local reporters on a conference call shortly after the selection was announced.
Harnish flew under the radar of most college coaches, but it didn't take long before the 6-foot-2 signal caller changed that.
The quarterback set 30 school records at Northern Illinois, while leading the Huskies to a conference title and their fourth straight bowl game in 2011. He was also a two-time All-Mid-American Conference selection, a three-time academic all-league choice and was named the league's MVP following the 2010 season.
Harnish will have to work hard in order to obtain further relevance, as he finds himself behind the much-hyped Andrew Luck on Indianapolis' depth chart, competing with the likes of Drew Stanton and Trevor Vittatoe for a backup role. But he'll at least have a chance to showcase his skills, which is more than most college QBs can say.
Even if Harnish wasn't selected in the draft, though, he was prepared to work hard in an effort to gain some team's attention.
"I was right there at the end, still hoping for the best and preparing for the worst," he said. "My agent and I were thinking we'd be looking into free agency."
No need to search now. For Hornish, this year's draft truly did start and end the same way; with a little bit of Luck.
Photo via Twitter/@NFL
