Irrelevant Week: Mr. Irrelevant XXVI is showered at Arrival Party

Richard Dunn

NEWPORT BEACH - Tevita Ofahengaue, whose Tongan influence inspired

an ideal beach party Monday at the Newport Dunes to celebrate the last

player picked in the NFL draft, set an Irrelevant Week record merely with

his arrival.

Mr. Irrelevant XXVI, a 6-foot-2, 254-pound tight end out of Brigham

Young University who was chosen absolutely dead last in the draft by

Arizona, said his entourage total for Irrelevant Week is 60.

Ofahengaue, greeted with the usual shower of gifts and proclamations

while seated high atop a lifeguard tower, made his grand entrance at the

Arrival Party while being rowed to shore in an outrigger catamaran with

several Newport Aquatic Center outriggers following.

At the shore, Mr. Irrelevant was escorted up the sand and to his perch

by a “Baywatch” lifeguard -- former Corona del Mar High cheerleader and

aspiring journalist Amber Wynkoop.

But, to shatter an Irrelevant Week record, Ofahengaue brought along 60

family members, including his wife, Carey, sons Tre, 9, and Moana, 7, and

daughters Teilissa, 3, and Teisa, 1.

Cam Quayle, Mr. Irrelevant XXIII and another tight end from Utah

(Weber State), held the previous Irrelevant Week entourage record of 26

(estimated), which was unheard of at the time.

With numerous nieces and nephews among his five siblings -- all in

attendance -- the total reached record proportions at Arrival Party XXVI.

“Yeah, and it could’ve been more,” Ofahengaue said. “My mom (Faleola)

comes from a family with 13 brothers and sisters and my dad (Moana) comes

from a family with 13 brothers and sisters. If they all would have come,

we would be having to move to another island.”

One of the best gifts to Mr. Irrelevant came from the Sisters of Mary

Heart Catholic Church: A prayer.Another gift was American Airlines

baggage-handling gear: Ofahengaue once worked as a baggage handler at an

airport in Dallas/Ft. Worth.

Ofahengaue was born in Tonga, then his family moved to New Zealand,

then to Hawaii when he was 2 years old, because of his father’s desire

for more education. He would become a middle school principal and all six

of his kids have college degrees, including one, Halaevalu, with a

doctorate in social work.

When Ofahengaue and his family arrived in town Sunday at the John

Wayne Airport, they ran into -- of all people -- NFL great Jerry Rice.

According to IW CEO Melanie Fitch, Mr. Irrelevant and Rice, the former

San Francisco 49er and current Oakland Raider wide receiver, chatted for

about 30 minutes.

“(Rice) said he remembered Sam Manual being Mr. Irrelevant (in 1996),”

IW founder Paul Salata said. “Then, when they announced that Mr.

Irrelevant’s limousine was ready, (Rice) couldn’t believe it! He said,

‘You’ve got a limo, too?”’