Mr. Irrelevant Desjuan Johnson ready to ‘keep pushing forward,’ signs with Rams

The story of the underdog has been told time and again, and it never seems to get old.

Certainly not in Newport Beach, where organizers are gearing up for another round of Irrelevant Week activities that are just around the corner.

Desjuan Johnson, a defensive end out of Toledo, became the 48th member of the Mr. Irrelevant fraternity when the Los Angeles Rams selected him with the 259th and final pick of the NFL Draft in late April in Kansas City.

Having appeared before the community already at the Balboa Island Parade on June 4, the real fun reaches its pinnacle on Monday, June 26, when Johnson is set to appear at the Lowsman Banquet at the Cannery Restaurant.

Melanie Salata-Fitch, the chief executive of Irrelevant Week, said the banquet is already sold out.

“We are looking forward to Irrelevant Week this year because it makes everything worthwhile when Mr. Irrelevant is a nice guy and an appreciative guy, because then all our work to celebrate him, it makes it worth it,” said Salata-Fitch, recounting her first impression of Johnson. “We were able to see him for a short time during the parade. Actually, the day that he arrived at Rams camp, I drove out to the valley and introduced myself to him, and both times, he’s a very friendly, nice, appreciative young man.”

Cheerleaders welcome Mr. Irrelevant with a banner.

(Courtesy of Irrelevant Week)

Irrelevant Week has been known to try to accommodate celebrity meet-and-greets and other wild requests as part of the festivities. Johnson voiced no such wishes, although he is looking forward to attending Disneyland with family members the Friday preceding the banquet.

Many a Mr. Irrelevant have put themselves at the mercy of the judges during the annual surfing lesson, a staple of the Newport Beach welcome. Reminded of a now viral video that surfaced of DJ Khaled wiping out while attempting to hydrofoil surf, Johnson hopes he can do better.

“He couldn’t stand up on it,” Johnson chuckled. He will get his chance on Saturday, June 24 at 30th Street Beach at 9 a.m.

Hearing his name called in the draft was far from irrelevant for Johnson, who cited the Rams trading for the last selection as being particularly meaningful to him. Los Angeles traded back seven spots with the Houston Texans in the fifth round (from 167th to 174th), adding the Mr. Irrelevant pick in the deal.

The Mr. Irrelevant family added to its notoriety last year, as quarterback Brock Purdy stepped in for the injury-plagued San Francisco 49ers, leading them to the NFC Championship Game as a rookie.

Johnson, who reportedly signed a rookie contract with the Rams on Monday, per his agent David Canter, said Purdy reached out after his selection.

“Just keep pushing forward, pushing for better days, and pushing to be the best person that I can be on and off the field,” Johnson said of the advice he received from Purdy.

The 6-foot-3, 275-pound Johnson totaled 65 tackles, 5½ sacks and one interception for Toledo last season. The Rockets beat Ohio 17-7 in the Mid-American Conference championship game at Ford Field in Johnson’s hometown of Detroit. Toledo also beat Liberty 21-19 in the Boca Raton Bowl, which marked the program’s first victory in a bowl game since 2015.

“That was one of the things that I give myself a pat on the back for because the [transfer] portal, around that time, everybody was in there,” Johnson said of his decision to stay at Toledo. “... Just to be a part of that history will always be in my heart. Then I come to a championship team, that won the Super Bowl before and they know what they doing.

“I feel like everything’s the right move. … The guys, it feels just like at home, me and the guys joke around. I don’t feel like I’m out of place or anything. It’s more of a brotherhood because outside the facility, I can talk to anybody about certain things.”