"Everybody matters or nobody matters" is the motto of Harry Bosch, the now septuagenarian Los Angeles police officer who is the protagonist of the Harry Bosch novels and the subsequent Netflix series, a specialist in investigating forgotten cases that bother or do not interest his In the world of sport, all players are also important in theory, but in practice some are much more than others, to the point that some go so unnoticed that it could be said that they are irrelevant.
In the history of the NFL draft, which dates back to 1936, very, very few of the last-place picks in the seventh and final round have managed to gain a foothold, let alone win. Its name is like those Christmas lottery numbers that are called when all the big and not-so-big prizes have come out. At this point, the television networks have already disconnected and only the team executives, the interested parties themselves and their families remain pending. The difference is having a possible career in professional sports, going to play in Canada or hanging up your boots and doing something else, being a dentist or an accountant.
Thus, in 1976 Paul Salata, a former Colts wide receiver who commented on the draft on one of the channels, nicknamed Kelvin Kirk, the last of the 259 selected players, Mister Irrelevant t, and had the idea of , from that moment on, give the character in question a bouquet of flowers, a round at a golf club, a meal at a restaurant and a trip to Disneyworld. As consolation, let's say, for the glory that he will never be able to enjoy, except for a miracle.
But in life there are exceptions to everything. The 49ers offered Brock Purdy, the 2022 Mister Irrelevant, a contract at quarterback behind Trey Lance, Jimmy Garoppolo and Nate Sudfield. With Iowa State he had played in 46 games over four years, setting various records but failing to impress scouts (who are often wrong, as was the case with Tom Brady). In San Francisco he was relegated to training with the backups, but immediately surprised by his mastery of a complex offensive strategy and his calm.
He unseated Sudfield as the third quarterback in the preseason, moved up to first in line when Lance was injured early in the season, and took over three days ago when Garoppolo broke his foot. Many thought the season for the 49ers—one of the Super Bowl contenders—had gone down the drain, but, acting like a true veteran, he wrapped up his first rushing drive with a touchdown and won the game against the leading Dolphins. five days without losing. The next test was even more difficult, against a Brady who was playing in Northern California (he's from San Mateo) for only the second time in his professional career, and he led a sound beating of the Buccaneers 35 to 7 (45 of 67 pass completions, two touchdowns and another running with the ball) that made Mister Irrelevant a true celebrity. In case anyone thought that his had been a coincidence, a flash in the pan, last Thursday he orchestrated the victory of his team in Seattle, one of the most hostile stadiums, where the shouting of the local fans makes it difficult to communicate the plays, and Even the busiest have problems.
Purdy's case, beyond his personal success, contains a philosophical lesson, or whatever you want to call it. No one is ever to be underestimated, no one is irrelevant, and as LAPD Agent Harry Bosch says, everyone matters.
