INDIANAPOLIS — Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza came away impressed after his formal interview with the Las Vegas Raiders at the NFL scouting combine, praising the organization’s football acumen and a surprise phone call from Tom Brady.
Mendoza met with Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak, general manager John Spytek, and other staff on Friday. Minority owner Tom Brady, whom Mendoza calls the greatest quarterback of all time, called him during the meeting.
“I was able to say a brief hello to Brady on the phone when I walked in, and that was really special to me,” Mendoza said. “I look forward to meeting him in person, hopefully one day, and learning from him.”
The quarterback described the session as more than just a get-to-know-you. Kubiak and his staff quizzed Mendoza on X’s and O’s, teaching him a play and testing his recall.
“I would say they are very football-savvy, which is great to see,” he said. “They taught me a play and had their whole progression of how they teach their quarterbacks the play. It was very similar to how my Indiana progression was.”
Despite being the heavy favorite to go No. 1 overall to the Raiders in the April 23 draft, Mendoza acknowledged the uncertainty of the process. “I know they have the prospective No. 1 pick, but anything can happen in the draft,” he said. “I’m just excited for the opportunity, and whatever team drafts me, I’m going to give everything I’ve got to them.”
Mendoza emphasized the need to earn trust through performance and leadership. “I believe with an NFL franchise, to lead it you need equity,” he said. “And you need two things to build equity. One, you need to play well. … Second is having the respect of your teammates.”
Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr., a borderline first-round prospect, vouched for Mendoza’s character. “The team that drafts Fernando is getting a great leader and a down-to-earth guy,” Cooper said. “He’s someone who loves football and is going to do whatever it takes to help his team win.”
Mendoza, who was ranked the 134th quarterback in his high school class, reflected on his unlikely rise. “You can’t really listen to social media, but in the national rankings I was like the 134th quarterback coming out of my class in high school,” he said. “I was raw. … So it’s all about the small wins every day and all about discipline.”
