The man of the hour has finally become available to the media!
Earlier this morning, Indiana QB and the favorite to be selected 1.01 overall Fernando Mendoza had his media availability at the NFL Combine. As you can expect, it was an absolute media circus for the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.
Fernando- Good Morning Guys! Thanks for coming, appreciate you guys for coming out! Let’s get started!
Q- Fernando, you’re expected to be the number one pick for the Las Vegas Raiders in a few months. Can you detail your interactions with the organization?
A- I was lucky enough to have a formal interview with the Las Vegas Raiders. It was a fantastic interview. Coaching staff was in there. We went over some of my previous plays, drew some plays on the board. Thought it was great meeting. I know they have the prospective #1 pick, but anything could happen in the draft. I’m just excited for the opportunity and whatever team drafts me, I’m gonna give everything I got to them
Q- When we did a scouting report on your LinkedIn profile, what would you say are its greatest strengths?
A- I would say that consistency, from posting from freshman year back at Cal to posting with all the madness, with the National Championship run, it’s all about consistency. So the true followers have been there from day one. Have have seen the true career updates.
Q- What would you say if a team passed on you?
A- Nothing there’s so many great players in this class. I mean, we saw the Ohio State guys run yesterday. There’s plenty of Indiana guys who are great in the draft as well. And I’m just honored to be a part of the group. There’ll be no hard feelings. There’s so many things that organizations and business they got to do for themselves. I was trying to be the best me possible, and whatever team drafts me, I’m grateful, whether it’s number one pick or whether it’s, you know, 199th pick.
Q- *Question about the chemistry developed from spring ball into the season*
A- Yeah, chemistry is everything, and throughout the season, we’re able to build better chemistry from Game one all the way to game 16. I think it’s really showing them by the back shoulder balls. We have so many great, great catchers and great receivers, whether it’s tight ends, running backs or receivers, and most of the balls that we threw, especially in the latter half of the season, were on time. They were accurate, they were with good anticipation, and the receivers all made great catch with their strong hands and had great YAC as well. So I think that preparation from day one in spring, it’s always a continuous process, and looking forward to working my new teammates.
Q- Fernando can you reflect on this past season, winning the Heisman, winning the Natty it was the perfect season and what an experience it was for you?
A- Yeah, it was a great blessing. I can’t thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, enough for this. It was, it was such a blessing, and to be able to do it with, you know, all the accolades and awards are great, but to be able to do with such a great group of guys, and also being able to do it the way that we did, it was, it was special, and something I’ll never forget.
Q- What trait about your personality makes you the right man to lead an NFL Franchise?
A- I believe with the NFL franchise, to lead it, you need equity, and then you need two things to build equity. Need one to play well, and that’s where all my focus goes in football, football, football, if you want to, if you want to lead, you first got to play well. And then second, it’s having the respect of your teammates, through work ethic, through your leadership, through your tenacity, the way you respond to mistakes. And so those are all things I’m looking to work on.
Q- We know that you have said about Tom Brady and your respect and admiration for him, when you consider the possibility of being mentored by him with the Raiders, what would that mean, just as a personal level?
A- I mean, who hasn’t admired Tom Brady guys? I mean more Super Bowl rings than anybody, anybody. So that opportunity would be fantastic. Tom Brady, I believe, is the greatest quarterback of all time, by a wide margin, and to be able to have the opportunity to be mentored by him, would it mean so much, and especially to learn, and I’m all about learning. So from day one, you know, I got to learn a lot. It long journey, and to have potentially have a mentor like that be pretty impressive and pretty meaningful.
Q- At the national championship game. I know you were focused on other things, but what did that lead you to know that they {The Raiders} were there kind of in full force?
A- Yeah, I heard they were there after the game, and it was, it’s great to see from, you know, day one, then all the way to the national championship, you know, more scouts showing up for my teammates, for me, for just everybody in Indiana organization, I think it just really signifies how we’re able to turn that program around with the great guidance leadership of Coach Cignetti. And like I said, I’m excited that, you know all the scouts are there, because it gives my teammates a great chance to play the next level, which is all of our dreams, and a great opportunity.
Q- What would you want to gain from that exchange?
A- Yeah, when I walked into the formal interview for the Raiders, I was able to say a brief hi on the phone to {Tom} Brady, and so that was very special to me, and I look forward to meeting him in person, hopefully one day, and learning from him.
Q- *Question about the short turn around time between 2026 National Championship and NFL Combine*
A- It’s been hectic, but it’s also been a blessing. A lot of our teammates were joking that we played the Natty January 19 and January 23rd we got three days of of you know,like celebrating with a parade, and then it was all off to training. Everybody was going to Miami, Phoenix, LA, Chicago to go train, and that process of being dispersed so quick shows why I need to be so enabled in the present moment, and how much it matters to be in the present moment, and how much you got to really enjoy the good times while it lasts. And it’s just a great opportunity, from the beginning of the year, to all the way now to all the teammates being able to be at the combine and go to compete. It’s great.
Q- How has playing for Indiana and winning a National Championship shaped your mindset to play professionally?
A- Yeah, I would say I played a lot of college football. Started three seasons, which has been great experience in my first two years. Out of probably the 18 games I played on the exact numbers, don’t quote me on that, a lot of them were one score games had a lot of tough defeats, whether it was 49 to 50 to USC and Caleb Williams two years ago, whether it was 38-39 to Cam Ward and the Miami Hurricanes the past year, I believe a lot of that experience of failing coming up so short has helped me in this new run with Indiana, wherever we’ve gotten behind and dug yourself in the hole with Penn State, with Oregon, with Iowa, and be able to learn from those failures and make those into successes, and then be able to help my teammates.
Q- When someone is asking you about Omar Cooper, what do you say?
A- I know I mean, the body control he has is crazy. And I know people compare him to Deebo Samuel, and I believe Omar is a receiver, you know, more, by far, more than running back, but that’s what I see. Take a prime Deebo Samuel, because it obviously Deebo is a great player. So, like, you know, just, you know, the upside in that aspect. And he has great body control, great hands. He can really play any position on the field and have him as a receiver that can be a gadget guy, also take a deep and also have great routes and hands, especially as the quarterback and I mean, he helped make me this year. So really, I mean, just shout out to him. And he’s also a great teammate. He’s also a great teammate as well.
Q- *Question about youth game growing up*
A- I remember the Football Hotbed game. I believe it was in eighth grade and Reuben Bain, Wesley Bissainthe was there too. And we were there, visiting Georgia Tech, visiting Georgia State. And it was, it just shows that, you know, it was homegrown. And funny enough, Reuben Bain and I actually were working out because his cousin Rashad was a running back for Christopher Columbus High School. As he would always work out in the field. I’d be throwing routes down to Columbus guys, and he’d be on the other side of the field hitting the bags. And it’s like, one day, that guy’s gonna be a beast. Then one month ago, he sacked me in the National Championship.
Q- So your spirit has got back on your football career, going back to when you started as a child, what made you most fall in love with the game?
A- Wow, that’s a great question. As a child, you kind of get thrown into the fire. You get thrown all these different sports, but I believe the thing that made football so special to me was the strategy of the game, the way that you really had to combine with your teammates for a positive result. Football is not a one man game. In tackle football, it’s 11 man game. At that point, I was playing flag football, which is like a five man game. And at that point, combined with the strategy, because if you’re not the smartest, you can still out well your way in physical if you’re not the fastest you can, you can always be smart and be you know, and have good instincts. And there’s just so many different angles you can be successful in. And I just love the variety and that if you see that all the NFL superstars, no one, there’s no cookie cutter mold that you need to be.
Q- *Question about the challenges of being the #1 pick*
A- Well, the pick has not been selected yet, and whatever team drafts me, I’m extremely grateful. Like I said, was number one pick or was last pick in the draft, I’d be blessed and honored to be to be drafted by any team, and I’d give them my all. The possibility. I mean, we see how the NFL turns around so much. In the NFL the margins are so small. There’s so many games decided by so few points. And the difference between, you know, a losing record and a winning record is a couple of drives. There’s a couple of key plays. And so whatever team. I’m on. I’m just gonna take that advice and take the coaching for the coaching staff, and however I can best serve my teammates on that team, I’m gonna do it to the best of my ability.
Q- What was your first impression on the Raiders staff?
A- I would say that they’re very football savvy. They’re very football savvy, which is great to see there. They taught me a play, and they had their whole progression on how they teach the quarterbacks the play, and it was very similar how my Indiana progression. Very Type-A guy, and they had all the details of each play. What to do if you get a problem with each play? What’s your drop? What’s your progression? And that’s something that I really enjoy.
Q- *Question about interacting with Manning Brothers + Daniel Jones*
A- ‘s great. Yeah, I can’t thank the city of Indianapolis and the whole state of Indiana enough for the fantastic year and be able to spend it with those legends, was a remarkable night. Being able to learn from Peyton, learn from Eli, learn from Daniel. You know, I’m the young pup of that group, so be able to take that knowledge and some nuggets from them and hopefully apply to my game, whether it’s this off-season training or the rookie season, I’m really fortunate.
Q- *Question about what makes Omar Cooper and Elijah Sarratt special*
A- Yeah, Omar Cooper JR and Elijah Sarratt, those are two guys that made this year special, and they’re a huge part of me committing to Indiana, having such an elite receiver core. I believe those guys deserve more love. Elijah and Omar are two of the best receivers in the nation. Obviously, this receiver class is stacked, there are so many great receivers, but I’ve been so fortunate enough and lucky enough to build equity with those guys and chemistry and be able to throw those guys all season, and it’s either production, I think, something crazy. Omar, 13 touchdowns. Elijah at 15. It’s a crazy stat line right there. And be able to have the success, grow and learn with them as a special those, no matter what happens, hopefully, you know, I end up with them with the NFL team one day. But you know, I’m I’m very fortunate. Those are my brothers for life.
Q- *Question about preparing for the Combine*
A- Right now, I’m unemployed. I have no job. So this is my job interview right now. And like everyone says, it’s the most important job interview of your life. So right now I’m just trying to do everything to do everything to hopefully to be employed April 23rd.
Full Audio File curiosity of Camdyn Glover, IUSTV.
