Since Red Murdock last took the field at Broncos Park, he has learned to surf, posed for photos with Mickey Mouse at Disneyland and been introduced at a Los Angeles Angels game.

That was all part of the rookie linebacker’s visit last month to Southern California after being anointed Mr. Irrelevant as the last player selected in the NFL draft. Now, though, it’s back to football for Murdock, taken by Denver with the No. 257 pick out of Buffalo to conclude the draft April 25.

Broncos rookies report to training camp Wednesday. They will be joined by veterans reporting next Tuesday, and later next week full-squad workouts will get underway.

Murdock, whose last Broncos practice was June 17 at a mandatory minicamp, can’t wait.

“That’s what I do,” Murdock told The Denver Gazette about playing football. “That’s what I love. I love the competition. I love being around the guys. I’m excited to get (on the field) every single day.”

For Murdock, fun is what he does on the football field. It’s not exactly what he went through at times during Irrelevant Week ceremonies June 24-28 in Newport Beach, just south of Los Angeles.

Since 1976, the last player selected in the draft has been dubbed Mr. Irrelevant and been brought to Southern California for a week of frivolity. The honoree is introduced at a banquet and, according to Irrelevant Week CEO Melanie Salata Fitch, celebrated “as if he’s the first guy drafted.”

Mr. Irrelevant is presented with the Lowsman Trophy, which is a play on the Heisman Trophy and shows a runner fumbling the ball and all sorts of gag gifts. The NFL commissioner annually has sent a watch and a personal letter to Mr. Irrelevant.

On June 24, Murdock arrived prior to the Lowsman Banquet on a yacht, with a siren blaring from a Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol boat, which was leading the way. With Murdock wearing a Broncos jersey with No. 257 on it, he showed up with fans cheering him, with signs held up and with the Hope International University cheer and stunt team waving pompoms. He was then whisked to the banquet in an open-air vehicle.

At the banquet, attended by about 150 people, former NFL quarterback Paul McDonald served as an emcee. Newport Beach Mayor Lauren Kleiman gave Murdock the key to the city, and others talked him up.

“It was pretty awkward for the most part,” Murdock said. “I appreciate (those involved with Irrelevant Week), but it didn’t seem genuine or anything like that.”

Actor Matt Willig, a former NFL offensive lineman, had Murdock dress up in a Darth Vader costume and practice acting by saying, “Luke, I am your father.” Willig then joked that his acting “sucked.”

Murdock was given a quiz in which every question had something to do with the color red. When he was handed a Broncos watch that commissioner Roger Goodell had sent, McDonald quipped he was getting now what usually is a retirement gift because “we’re not sure how long you’re going to be playing.” But McDonald did add he expects Murdock to “play for a long time.”

“(I was) just staying professional, but for the most part, it felt more so like they were making fun more than anything,’’ Murdock said of the banquet. “I didn’t really enjoy it for the most part. … It didn’t seem like (it came) from a genuine place. … It was just them kind of like that’s what they do. … That first night, they were making a whole bunch of roasts and stuff like that. Like, ‘Yeah, we love you.’’’

Murdock, though, did like it that his former coach at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia, Frank Arritt, came to Newport Beach to take part in the ceremonies and that he was surprised at the event by the arrival of former Buffalo wide receiver J.J. Jenkins. Jenkins, who lives in the Los Angeles area, was Murdock’s Bulls teammate in 2024.

“It was good seeing some familiar faces,” Murdock said. “(Jenkins is) my dawg.”

Arritt gave a speech, talking about when Murdock arrived at Fork Union in 2021. Murdock attended the prep school for a year after graduating from Hopewell (Va.) High School and before spending four seasons at Buffalo.

“I mentioned that when we were at the school, we made him cut his hair and we took his cellphone and things like that, but he took it all in stride,” Arritt told The Denver Gazette about Murdock, who now has long dreadlocks. “He was a great locker room guy and a great person to be around. He was a ‘yes sir, no sir’ kind of guy.”

Murdock also is the kind of guy who doesn’t like people making a fuss over him.

“Red is a very reserved person,” Arritt said. “He doesn’t like too much of a big deal to be made about him, and that just kind of speaks to his character. … He’s a very humble person, and he doesn’t like much outside attention.”

Murdock agreed with that assessment, saying that was “absolutely” why he felt uncomfortable at times when being feted.

But Irrelevant Week is also about raising money for charities in the area. And Murdock’s week included meeting on the beach about 50 underserved kids and signing autographs.

“At the end of the day, at least it’s helped the disadvantaged kids,” Murdock said. “I’m all for charity work. But I’m not for like the fake acts and stuff like that.”

On that day at the beach, Murdock also liked learning to surf, getting lessons from Pete Townend. The legendary surfer gave Murdock a rating of seven out of 10 for his showing.

“That’s the highest any Mr. Irrelevant has gotten,” said Fitch, noting that about half the 51 honorees since 1976 have tried their hand at surfing. “They usually get 2s and 3s.”

“I really enjoyed the surfing,” said Murdock, who was given a custom surfboard that reads on it, “Mr. Irrelevant Red Murdock.” “It was pretty cool.”

Murdock also called it “cool” talking to about 600 members of the Newport Beach Junior Guards, a group of kids who learn lifeguard-type skills on the beach. Murdock, who set an NCAA record with 17 forced fumbles in his four seasons at Buffalo, talked to them about working hard and “giving your all.”

A day Murdock spent at Disneyland also went fine. He posed for a photo with Mickey Mouse and rode the Incredicoaster despite some initial reluctance.

“We said, ‘Go on this roller coaster,’ and he said, ‘No thanks,’” Fitch said. “We said, ‘Come on and then when he got off, he goes, ‘That was the best ride ever.’ So he had a real good time at Disneyland.”

Murdock’s week also included being put at the wheel of a yacht during a regatta and being presented with a life preserver reading “Titanic” on it. He did a boxing workout at a local gym and got to make his own pizza in the kitchen at a restaurant.

But when the spotlight was really on Murdock is when he said he felt uncomfortable. At the Angels game against the Athletics on June 26, he was presented with an Angels jersey with his name and No. 257 on the back. He was shown on the Jumbotron while fans cheered, and he tossed T-shirts to the crowd.

“That’s not really my cup of tea,” Murdock said. “That’s the whole thing. I’d rather like keep a lower profile. … I wasn’t really too fond of the whole Angels game to have me be front and center like against my will. It just seems like I didn’t really want to do that.”

As for the Lowsman Trophy, Murdock is giving it to his mother. He called getting the trophy a “pity party” and “making fun of you.”

“Maybe I misinterpreted (Irrelevant Week),” Murdock said. “If they’re genuine, I appreciate the effort. At least my experience wasn’t the best, but I don’t want to paint (those putting on Irrelevant Week) in a bad way.”

Fitch was asked about Murdock being fine with some aspects of Irrelevant Week but uncomfortable with some others.

“We understand that,” she said. “We know that just by stereotyping people, quarterbacks talk a lot and linebackers usually are not in the limelight as far as being interviewed and things. I think that his personality is he doesn’t like to be in the limelight. I don’t think he likes to be alone in the limelight either. If it was, ‘OK, here’s the defense,’ or something, he’d be fine with that.

“But we still enjoyed celebrating him and he did have a good time I think when he’s not the guy and there’s all this fanfare. He’s not that comfortable with it.”

Murdock will be back in his comfort zone when he returns to the field for the Broncos. After a solid showing in spring drills, he is ready to perform in training camp and beyond.

“I want to show my best stuff every day and continue to get better,” Murdock said. “If my best self has me being the starting linebacker and first-team All-Pro or if it has me cut, I find joy in the process of being the best person I can be.”

Murdock will look to find more joy on the football field than he did while being honored as Mr. Irrelevant.