Entourage along for ride

NEWPORT BEACH — At 4:15 a.m. Monday in Columbia, S.C., Bill Tindall woke up his son, Matthew, by telling him, “Wake up. Go get in the shower. We’re going on a trip.”

Matthew, an 11-year-old, didn’t know where he was going. He had been told by his friend, Ryan Succop, that Irrelevant Week was postponed to next month so Matthew thought the trip had nothing to do with that.

But later in the day, Matthew caught on to the surprise. He realized he was going to Newport Beach to be among 11 of Succop’s family members and friends to watch the Kansas City Chiefs kicker be celebrated as Mr. Irrelevant. He laughed and cheered along with others as Succop received several gifts at the Arrival Party, the first day of Irrelevant Week, which honors the final pick of the NFL Draft.

Matthew, who wore a red Chiefs shirt with, “SUCCOP” and “256” printed on the back, was thrilled to be in Newport Beach Monday. He probably didn’t share the same type of excitement as Paul Salata, the founder of Mr. Irrelevant. Salata had a giddiness about him, cracking jokes about a kicker with a last name pronounced, suck-up.

Matthew was excited as a friend and a fan. In his room, he has a life-size picture of Succop about to boot the ball.

What better way to spend a week in Southern California with Succop? Monday it was a party at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort. Today, it’s Disneyland and then later off to an Angels game to see Succop rake the infield with the grounds crew during the seven-inning stretch.

“It’s awesome,” Matthew said. “I’m excited.”

Matthew met Succop about three years ago when the then-University of South Carolina kicker worked as an intern at an insurance company, where Bill Tindall also worked.

Last summer, Succop had Matthew help him kick field goals to help him train for his final season with the Gamecocks.

“It’s just neat to have them out here to be a part of this,” Succop said of his entourage. “It makes the week that much better. We’re just all going to enjoy the week together.”

Succop’s family is assuredly along for the ride, and that includes his father, David, mother, Kathy and two sisters, Kelsey and Ali. Kelsey brought her friend and Ali has her boyfriend.

Succop also has his girlfriend, Paige Cooper, here for the week, along with his designated guest, Trey Crabill, and Crabill’s girlfriend.

In 2001, Mr. Irrelevant XXVI, Tevita Ofahengaue, brought up to 65 of his family members and Melanie Salata-Fitch, CEO of Irrelevant Week, had to institute a rule of only guest for Mr. Irrelevant.

Crabill fits the role for the week. They’ve been friends for the past three years, meeting at South Carolina. Crabill was there when Succop got the call from the Chiefs that he would be the last pick in the NFL Draft.

It was a treat to watch Succop go through the interviews, become a Chief and then take a trip to Orange County, Crabill said.

To be a special friend at the party? Even better.

He spoke a bit about Succop just before the gifts poured in.

“He’s pretty irrelevant in a lot of people’s lives,” Crabill said, not really sucking up to Succop because he’s already amid the party. “I think for one week, he can handle this.”

Cooper, apparently, can handle also it, watching her boyfriend be the life of the party during a week that includes bikini-clad women lining up to be chosen as Ms. Irrelevant.

“That’s fine; I’m fine with it,” said Cooper, a public relations major who met Succop in a psychology class at South Carolina a little over two years ago. “I’m just excited for him. I’ve always said, out of all the people this could have happened to, it happened to Ryan.”

David and Kathy Succop love the concept of celebrating the underdog.

They saw their son deal with a hernia injury throughout his senior season with the Gamecocks and still find his way to be drafted by an NFL team. Succop ended up as South Carolina’s No. 2 all-time scorer with 251 career points. He was the Gamecocks’ leading scorer for 2008, connecting on 20 of his 30 field-goal attempts and hitting all 30 of his extra points.

Now, he’s planning to be with the Chiefs, trying to reap a three-year contract worth $1.2 million if he beats out Connor Barth, who kicked for Kansas City last year.

“It has been like a Cinderella story,” Kathy Succop said. “We have been so blessed. I didn’t know what to expect when we got here. It’s better than our wildest dreams.”