John Tuggle
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Paramount released the trailer for Mr. Irrelevant, a film about John Tuggle.
The Giants wore his No. 38 on their helmets through their first Super Bowl season.
Background
John Tuggle was the 335th and final pick of the 1983 NFL draft, taken by the New York Giants, which earned him the nickname "Mr. Irrelevant" given to the last player selected. He played most of his rookie season on special teams, was named the Giants' Special Teams Player of the Year, and was promoted to starting fullback in week 12 when Rob Carpenter was injured. Diagnosed with cancer in 1984, he never returned to the field and died in 1986 at age 25. The nickname gained wider awareness among football fans when Brock Purdy, the last overall pick in his class, became the San Francisco 49ers' starting quarterback and one of the league's highest-paid players.
How it unfolded
- Jan 13, 1961John Davis Tuggle is born in Honolulu, Hawaii.
- 1983Tuggle is selected by the New York Giants with the 335th and final pick of the NFL draft, earning the nickname "Mr. Irrelevant." He plays that season with the Giants and is named the team's Special Teams Player of the Year.
- 1983Tuggle plays most of the season on special teams but is promoted to starting fullback in week 12 when Rob Carpenter is injured.
- 1984Tuggle is diagnosed with cancer and does not return to the football field.
- 1985The Giants do not keep Tuggle on the team after the 1985 season but pay for his health insurance until his death.
- Aug 30, 1986Tuggle dies in Tijuana, Mexico, at age 25.
- 1986 -87The New York Giants wear his No. 38 on their helmets throughout the season that ended with the franchise's first Super Bowl victory.
- Sep 13, 2026Paramount Pictures releases the official trailer and poster for Mr. Irrelevant.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- The film's synopsis calls Tuggle "a true underdog" who "defied expectations on the field and off" for then first-year head coach Bill Parcells, his newfound love, and his team, "proving that remarkable hope and perseverance can transcend even the greatest challenges."
- Expert
- Giants conditioning coach Johnny Parker said of Tuggle: "In the weight room, John Tuggle was not sick, John Tuggle was a standard," and that although his chemotherapy was terrible, Tuggle "actually got stronger" and "wanted to be pushed, he didn't want sympathy."
Still unverified
Reports say Tuggle had severe shoulder pain following a minor car accident that felt far too significant to be a result of the crash, and that he was then diagnosed with cancer; another account says he underwent minor offseason knee surgery and was involved in a car crash before seeing a doctor for shoulder pain and being diagnosed.