Mr. Irrelevant: The honor roll

Ahmad Miller was still trying to decipher his new life on Sunday night. It is a life that includes parties, trips to Disneyland and his own place in NFL Draft history.

"I don't know about a party or a week's vacation," said Miller, UNLV's defensive tackle.

Miller will know, and soon. This Rebel without a (guaranteed) clause was the last player taken in the draft that ended Sunday evening. The cold, hard numbers say he was No. 261. Outside the draft room he is Mr. Irrelevant.

Forgotten, perhaps, but not gone.

The Houston Texans made him their property -- for now. The odds, of course, aren't good that the 6-foot-3, 311-pound lineman will stick in the NFL. But it should be a heck of a ride even if he doesn't.

Advantages: Miller is going to an expansion franchise that provides an open casting call. Oh, and the aforementioned weeklong celebration in Newport Beach, Calif., where he will the subject of Irrelevant Week.

Disadvantages: Miller was one pick away from freedom, where he could make his own deal with any team.

"Sometimes I hear you might as well go free agent," Miller said.

What the heck. A party is a party. Last year BYU tight end Tevita Ofahengaue was greeted as he got off the plane by Jerry Rice. Dennis Rodman hosted a party. Irrelevant founder Paul Salata started Irrelevant Week 26 years ago as a lark. It's serious stuff now to those who will award Miller the "Lowsman Trophy." The Irrelevant folks intentionally ignore talent, 40 times, stats and reliability.

"We want someone who can power a double-double cheese at 3 a.m.," says the press release.

All one-liners aside, there is a reason Miller was the last pick. Despite being part of a UNLV record-tying four draftees, Miller was deemed too inconsistent to go higher. His upper body is so strong that the Oakland Raiders considered drafting him and converting Miller into a drive-blocking offensive lineman.

But at other times "he appears to just stand around," according to a SportsLine.com profile.

"I don't know what this is going to mean to UNLV," Miller said, "but to me it's going to mean a chance to have a good life."

Only time will tell. Two of the past three Mr. Irrelevant (Jim Finn of Indianapolis and Mike Green of Chicago) are special teams standouts. Kentucky linebacker Marty Moore, the last pick in 1994, played eight years in the league. Maybe they got lucky. Art Modell's son picked Weber State tight end Cam Quayle for Baltimore in 1998 as a lark. Quayle now is in his second year of dental school.

There are as many former Mr. Irrelevant that work for newspapers, two, that are dead.

"I ain't going to be a sportswriter," said Miller, who didn't speculate on the other option.

Best scenario? In recent years many Mr. Irrelevant have been signed and shipped to NFL Europe for seasoning.

"People are going to be shocked when he gets to Houston's camp," UNLV defensive line coach Craig Wederquist said. "He's a great athlete. I think he just started coming into his own as a player. I don't think he's as big of a risk as everybody thinks he is. The thing that hurt him, when he turns it on he plays great. When he's not on, he's just a guy. I think that scared some people."

Miller went to Bradenton (Fla.) Southeast High School, where Peter Warrick once walked the halls. He committed to Syracuse out of high school but grade problems sent Miller to a Mississippi junior college. When he couldn't get along with the coaches there, he transferred to Manatee Junior College in his hometown.

Las Vegas coach John Robinson found him and brought him to the Rebels where, frankly, the defense wasn't really that good. But ironically all four UNLV players drafted were defenders.

"Las Vegas ain't nothing different," Miller said. "You take away the casinos it's a different city."

Take away the parties, parade and Lowsman, and for Miller life could be worse.