The N.F.L. is sometimes called the No Fun League because of its stern marketing and penchant for penalizing players.
But every so often, something entirely serendipitous and organic bubbles to the top and becomes an eccentric N.F.L. institution.
Paul Salata created one of those traditions: Mr. Irrelevant.
In the 1970s, Mr. Salata, a wide receiver who played a handful of seasons of both college and pro football during the Truman administration, approached Pete Rozelle, the league’s commissioner at the time, about honoring the last player taken in the college draft.
Mr. Salata had a soft spot for underdogs, having grown up poor in Los Angeles before becoming a successful businessman.