When Andre Sommersell took a job a few years ago at Panasonic Avionics in the Los Angeles area, he didn’t need to introduce himself to some of his colleagues.
They remembered hearing about him 20 years ago.
“There were about three or four Raiders fans when I showed up who knew my name,’’ Sommersell said.
That’s because, in 2004, after playing at Colorado State, the linebacker was the last player taken in the NFL draft. That earned him the title of Mr. Irrelevant.
After being selected in the seventh round with the No. 255 overall pick, Sommersell didn’t make the Oakland Raiders as a rookie. He spent 2004 and 2005 on the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad but never got into an NFL regular-season game.
Nevertheless, Sommersell always will be remembered as a Mr. Irrelevant. It was in 1976 that former pro receiver Paul Salata, who is now deceased, came up with the idea of honoring the last player taken in the draft and holding a parade and a variety of wacky ceremonies for him. The annual festivities take place in Newport Beach, Calif., where Sommersell, who attended nearby Fountain Valley (Calif.) High School, was a local favorite 20 years ago.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,’’ said Sommersell, who now lives in Newport Beach. “There was a parade in my honor and I was sitting on a big lifeguard stand. It was a good turnout. My family was there, and so were my high school teammates and high school cheerleaders. They had me judge a contest in which girls wanted to dance with (me), and I had to select which of the contestants would be my date. They had me sail a boat for the first time.”
Sommersell is one of three players from Colorado colleges to have been named Mr. Irrelevant. Colorado running back Jim Kelleher was the last pick in the 1977 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings and Buffaloes quarterback Randy Essington was the final selection by the Los Angeles Raiders in 1984.
Sommersell said there is a bond among players chosen as Mr. Irrelevant. Another was added to the group Saturday when the New York Jets selected Alabama safety Jaylen Key at No. 257 in the seventh round.
The Jets had both the No. 256 and 257 picks before sending No. 256 to Denver last Tuesday as part of the Broncos’ acquisition of quarterback Zach Wilson. So one could say that offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo, taken by Denver on Saturday at No. 256, was the Mr. Irrelevant runner-up.
Sommersell hasn’t returned for Mr. Irrelevant ceremonies since he was honored in 2024. But he is planning to return this summer when the 20th anniversary of his selection will be recognized.
Sommersell, 43, has been back since 2017 in California, where he is now a customer performance manager at Panasonic Avionics. Before that, he had quite an odyssey.
Sommersell, a native of Guyana who moved to California when he was 10, said there was some frustration that he never got into an NFL regular-season game but it wasn’t a major disappointment since he had not grown up closely following football and had always stressed education. Nevertheless, Sommersell remained in football following his playing days.
After a career that also included playing one season for the Berlin Thunder of NFL Europe and one for Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League, Sommersell headed to Italy in the late 2000s. For two years, he was head coach of the Bergamo Lions in a pay-for-play league and won two championships.
Then it was on Germany for a stint as head coach of the Nuremberg Rams of a similar German pro league. He won two championshpis in three years.
Then Sommersell was one of several individuals who helped form the Emirates American Football League in in the United Arab Emirates. He coached the Dubai Stallions and appeared in three championship games in three years, winning one.
“In Italy and Germany, they were pretty serious,’’ Sommersell of the players. “In Dubai, players smoked cigarettes and drank beer at halftime. Dubai was a more opulent lifestyle and they had paid to be on the team. So they enjoyed being on it, especially when winning.”
Now that Sommersell is back in the U.S., he’s been following the NFL more. He has been excited to see San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy, the 2022 Mr. Irrelevant, become the 49ers starter as a rookie and lead them to the Super Bowl last season.
“I 100% root for him,’’ Sommersell said. “A lot of us Mr. Irrelevants, we all have been waiting for that opportunity to shine and Brock got it.”
Sommersell didn’t end up having much of career in the NFL. But he does still get a kick out of being recognized at times for being Mr. Irrelevant.
What I'm thinking
—The Broncos had a nice Saturday with the acquisition of defensive end John Franklin-Myers from the New York Jets for a 2026 sixth-round pick and with some key draft picks. The Broncos needed some playmakers and they got two with the selection of Oregon wide receiver Troy Franklin in the fourth round and Notre Dame running back Audric Estime in the fifth round.
—After the Broncos took quarterback Bo Nix with the No. 12 pick in the draft, I would be surprised if quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson both make their 53-man roster. Stidham has just $1 million of his $4.49 million salary for 2024 guaranteed and Wilson is on the books for $2.726 million, so it wouldn't be a big hit if either is let go. Plus, the Broncos could get roughly $1 million offset back if either is released and then signs elsewhere for the minimum.
What I'm hearing
—Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts lives in Oregon and loves to read Sean Payton’s quotes.
“I think it’s fun to follow Sean Payton and the Broncos because you never know what you’re going to read every day,’’ Fouts said of the coach. “It’s always entertaining. But I’ve got a lot of respect for Payton and I think he’ll do a good job.”
—Nix shot down claims from some draft analysts about not having that strong of an arm, and Joe Theismann agrees with him.
“I think he throws the ball down the field very well, and I think that’s one of the qualities that attracted Sean to him,’’ Theismann told The Denver Gazette.
What I'm seeing
--Even after retirement, Peyton Manning has become a valuable asset to the Broncos. Nix said the Hall of Fame quarterback texted him after he was selected by Denver and he’s looking forward to getting advice from Manning.
“It’s huge to have someone like that here (in Denver) who’s close to the organization,’’ said general manager George Paton. “I think it’s great for all of our players and everyone in the organization. He comes by all the time, and we have dinner, so it’s outstanding to pick his brain.”
—It's going to be quite a battle for playing time for Denver at outside linebacker. The Broncos already have solid young players Jonathon Cooper, Baron Browning and Nik Bonitto at the position and on Friday took Utah's Jonah Elliss in the third round. What this could mean is that second-year man Drew Sanders, who was both an inside and outside linebacker as a rookie, will now just play inside.
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