Mr. Irrelevant: 7 Fascinating Facts About the Last Pick of the 2011 NFL Draft

The 2011 NFL Draft is over. 

All told, 254 picks flashed across our screens over the course of three days, culminating at 7:30 PM EST on Saturday with the stirring end-cap that we all celebrated with morbid fascination.

We all know the drill.  Just a few short syllables sound the note that signals the draft's grand finale: Mr. Irrelevant.

This year’s recipient of the coveted distinction went to a defensive end out of Rice University named Cheta Ozougwu.  Really, we should count ourselves lucky that his new label saves us from having to pronounce his name. 

But what does Ozougwu, the latest placeholder for the ignominious alias, receive for being conferred such an honor?

Historically speaking, a whole lot of nothing.  Messrs. Irrelevant of years past have received inordinate amounts of press coverage only to fall in the line with a mostly predictable fate: a short, lonely walk down the beaten path of failure. 

But that’s all part of the beauty of it: in spite of everything, we save these irrelevant souls from oblivion. 

We persist down this same road year after year, paradoxically attributing meaning to a pick whose very significance would seem to have been negated by the title we give it. 

The perverse truth remains: Mr. Irrelevant is very relevant to us.  So why show irreverence to such hallowed irrelevance? Let’s keep the tradition going and contribute to the fanfare. 

Here are seven fun facts about Mr. Irrelevant himself, Cheta Ozougwu.

Fact No. 1: Hometown Hero?

Not only did Cheta Ozougwu go to the Houston-based Rice University—he actually grew up there!

So the Houston Texans threw the local kid a bone, making sure the honor went to one of their own. Good for them and their charitable spirit.

If the "tweener" prospect Ozougwu doesn't amount to anything at the next level, at least it will be a short bus ride back home.

Fact No. 2: Academic Chops

All things considered, Cheta Ozougwu was a safe Mr. Irrelevant pick.

The Texans would have burdened themselves with a fair share of guilt had they signed up to send to "Mr. Irrelevant Week" somebody who boasts even worse life credentials than football ones.

But Ozougwu, football or no football, has a bright future ahead of him.

The Owls' star defensive end, it turns out, was also a star in the classroom. Not only did he graduate with a cumulative GPA of 3.41 in Economics, but he also won the 2010 Lowe's Senior Class Award for exceptional academic achievement.  

Impressive stuff for a campus football hero, no?  

Fact No. 3: On-the-Field Accolades

Sometimes it's easy to lose sight of the fact that football players who get selected in the later rounds of the NFL draft are actually tremendous athletes.  

Many factors can contribute to a player's plummeting stock. In Ozougwu's case, his only discernible fault appears to be that he was born with the wrong body.

Despite his touted athleticism and work ethic, he stands at 6-foot-2, 255 pounds, too small to play his natural position at the NFL level.

Nevertheless, he still managed to garner All-Conference USA First Team honors for his senior-season performance.  

And in four years at Rice, he showed a real nose for the football, tackling runners in the backfield to the tune of over 100 lost yards.   

That's Division-1A college football, folks.  Say what you will about the man's "irrelevance," dude's no slouch. 

Fact No. 4: Freshman Flutters

Cheta Ozougwu has been praised for his humility and grace on and off the football field.  Early in his career, however, that humble demeanor manifested itself in a slightly less flattering way.    

In 2009, the Owls' beastly defensive end disclosed to the Houston Chronicle how inauspiciously his career at Rice started:

"

As a wide-eyed freshman, Cheta Ozougwu had his fair share of deer-in-the-headlights moments. Thrown into the fire on Rice's 2007 squad, each carried a nervousness and anxiety that isn't uncommon in true freshmen.

Ozougwu even remembers his first dubious moment on the field against Texas Tech.

“I was really anxious because I had missed most of two-a-days,” Ozougwu said. “I was all over the place. My very first play, I went offsides. Then I was upset, so I got another penalty for making contact after (the whistle).”

"

For a guy who would become a four-year force for the school, and find himself getting drafted into the NFL, those freshman flutters are pretty charming.  How can you not root for the guy?

Fact No 5: Ozougwu the Oracle?

Ozougwu prepared for his stellar senior year at Rice by making a pretty bold prediction for their season-opening clash with national powerhouse Texas.

From the Houston Chronicle: 

"

Rice senior defensive end Cheta Ozougwu said the Owls are eager for the early-season test on national television.

"This is what I've been dreaming for," Ozougwu said. "I want to be able to shock the world when we come out with the win. I want that kind of challenge." (Emphasis Mine)

"

The Owls went on to lose the game, 34-17.  

Sorry, Cheta.  I readily acknowledge your academic acumen, but for your sake, I hope you stick with Economics instead of attempting an inevitably less fruitful career in prognostication.  

Fact No. 6: That's Not His Real Name!

Okay, so Cheta Ozougwu is almost his real name.

But no, his parents (named Aja and Josephine, in case you were wondering) christened their baby boy Chetachi Ozougwu years before he earned the Mr. Irrelevant moniker. 

Oh, and the name is of Nigerian origin, in case you were wondering that, too.

Fact No. 7: Fun with Letters

His name is so unique, I decided to calculate how many points his full name would be worth in the classic board game Scrabble (assuming it were a legal play).

C(3) + H(4) + E(1) + T(1) + A(1) + C(3) + H(4) + I(1)+ O(1) + Z(10) + O(1) + U(1) + G(2) + W(4) + U(1)

= 38 points, without bonuses of course.  A formidable play indeed.

How does his new name compare?

M(3) + R(1) + I(1) + R(1) + R(1) + E(1) + L(1) + E(1)+ V(4) + A(1) + N(1) + T(1)

= 17 points.

This marks the last occasion Cheta Ozougwu's birth name will be said to triumph over his new title.

From now until the end of time, he's Mr. Irrelevant.