Jim Plunkett sees a clear path for Fernando Mendoza to succeed in Las Vegas — and it starts with the men up front.
“One thing Mark (Davis) has learned from his dad is that you don’t have an offense unless you have offensive linemen,” the two-time Super Bowl champion said Tuesday at the Raiders headquarters. “So he’s going to make sure he has that in front of him so that he can do what he does best, and that’s throw the football and sometimes take off and run.”
Plunkett was part of the inaugural enshrinement ceremony for the Hispanic Football Hall of Fame, held at the Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson. He was inducted alongside Tom Flores, Ted Hendricks, Anthony Muñoz, Ron Rivera, Tom Fears and Steve Van Buren.
Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner and top draft pick out of Indiana, was not in attendance but received the Hispanic College Football Player of the Year Award. Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto was named Hispanic Pro Football Player of the Year.
“I think it’s great,” Plunkett said of the Hall of Fame honor. “It’s about time some of the guys like us are being recognized. I think it’s a tremendous honor and more and more people will get to know about the impact Hispanics have made throughout the National Football League.”
Rivera, who is the general manager of the football program at Cal, stressed the broader significance of the Hall of Fame.
“I think people need to understand just how important our contribution is, not just as players, but as fans of the game,” he said. “Our impact is felt in more ways than even just being on the field. … The Hispanic community represents 19 percent of today’s $160 billion sports economy. Hispanics spend 50 percent more than non-Hispanics on ticketing, streaming, TV package, digital media and merchandise. And looking forward, our community represents $1 out of every three in the US sports economy, as it is estimated to grow to 300 billion by 2035.”
Rivera added that the Raiders have long been a team that resonates with the Hispanic community, and he praised the organization for hosting the ceremony. “The Raiders really did want to be involved. They really did want to be part of this. … I’m just very, very proud of the fact the Raiders stepped up and did what they did.”
Plunkett emphasized that the Raiders’ connection to the Hispanic community is not a political gesture but a commitment to finding the best talent. This year, that talent is Mendoza.
“I’m certainly proud, not just because he’s Hispanic, but because he’s a quarterback,” Plunkett said. “In a sense, I’m proud of the fact (he has shown so much respect to the past). But whoever can come in and do the job for us, I’m all for it. I don’t care what his nationality is or not. But having met Fernando, he’s a great kid. I look forward to seeing him practice this year and then on the football field.”
Rivera, who watched Mendoza’s journey from Cal to Indiana, noted the quarterback’s pride in his heritage. “It’s one of those things that you just don’t aspire to be a role model for just your community, but you also aspire to be a role model for everybody else,” he said.
