The Crazy 1976 Steelers Draft Story Involving A Doppelgänger And California Butcher

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the rest of the NFL have watched in awe as former seventh-round draft pick Brock Purdy has beaten all odds as "Mr. Irrelevant," which is a title given to whichever player is picked dead last in each year's NFL Draft. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback is now due for a big-time extension that will finally reward him for his perseverance and strong play. Not many individuals selected at the very end of draft weekend go on to be successful, but Purdy is an anomaly. He has earned every right to sign a lucrative deal that will keep him in the Bay Area for years to come.

What many fans in Pittsburgh may not realize is that the original "Mr. Irrelevant" was actually selected by the Steelers. The story dates back to 1976 when wide receiver Kelvin Kirk was taken with the 487th overall pick -- the draft lasted 17 rounds back then. Paul Salata, a 1949 draft pick, came up with the idea to celebrate the last selection. This is where Irrelevant Week was born, a non-profit dedicated to sending a message that being the draft's last pick isn't a bad thing.

Per a phenomenal piece written by Ryan Hockensmith at ESPN, Salata recruited his daughter, Melanie Salata, to help him see this vision through. The initiative was launched in 1976 when Kirk was picked, but the celebration didn't exactly go as planned.

"Melanie, in her early 20s at the time, had meticulously scheduled a week for Kirk that would begin with her picking him up at the airport before an introductory press conference in Newport Beach," Hockensmith wrote. "Just one minor problem: Kirk missed his flight from Ohio. But in an era before cell phones, nobody knew at first, so Melanie waited at the airport for a few hours until Kirk called Paul to say what happened."

What happened next is a lost piece of Steelers history that is both funny and unbelievable at the same time. Melanie and Paul devised a plan to have someone stand in for Kirk while he tried to get to California.

"When Melanie told her dad that they needed to figure out what to do to kill about an hour until she could get Kirk on a later flight, Paul had a ridiculous idea. 'I know a guy who looks like Kelvin Kirk,'" Paul said. "'I'll have him stand in for the real Kelvin Kirk until you get here. Nobody will know the difference.'"

That's exactly what ended up happening, as the Salata family used a local butcher to stand in for Kirk. It's pretty incredible that the father and daughter duo were able to pull off something so unique.

In a crazy turn of events, Kirk ended up making it out to the West Coast for his celebration. Paul directly told the members of the media that the butcher wasn't actually Kirk and that the true 487th overall selection had finally arrived.

"For about 20 minutes, the butcher gave short answers and nodded along about what a fun concept that Irrelevant Week was. Then Melanie showed up and her dad abruptly announced, 'Alright, that's enough from this guy, let's bring out the real Kelvin Kirk!' Out walked the actual first Mr. Irrelevant, and the confused media members just assumed it was part of the winking pomp and circumstance of the day."

The Steelers have a legendary history, but this is a phenomenal piece of background that proves Pittsburgh had a hand in one of the most unique stories in NFL history.

Steelers Never Got The Chance To See Kelvin Kirk Play In The NFL

Kirk was cut during training camp, but went on to have a successful career in the Canadian Football League. While he may not be remembered in the Steel City, he played an integral part in one of the more hidden gems of a story in NFL history. He will always be considered to be the first "Mr. Irrelevant," although, the butcher out in California also played a strange part in the unforgettable events that occurred back in 1976.

Did you know the story of Kirk and the California butcher? Let us know in the comments below!

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