As expected, Heisman Trophy and National Championship-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza was the top pick in the NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night – a storybook finish to his college career and a celebrated start to his professional play.
“College was fantastic, and I’m so blessed to have had that career, but now I step into the great game in the NFL,” the former Indiana University star said. “I look forward to earning it and proving it every day.”
Despite analysts suggesting Mendoza is likely to soon sign a lucrative contract, the signal caller sported his characteristic humility.
“I believe I’m still the underdog,” he said. “I can tell you right now, I’m not one of the 32 quarterbacks. I’m at the bottom of the totem pole right now. I’m ready to do whatever the team needs.”
The Las Vegas Raiders are going to need a strong offensive leader, but on Thursday night, Fernando was first and foremost thinking about what would benefit his mother most of all.
Instead of participating in the NFL Draft in person, which was in Pittsburgh this year, the top pick was sitting on a couch with his mother and father in his childhood home in Coral Gables, Fla.
That’s because Elsa Mendoza, Fernando’s mother, has multiple sclerosis and gets around with the use of a wheelchair. It’s difficult for her to travel, so she conserves her energy by staying close to home.
The NFL Draft has become a major source of revenue and exposure for the league. The 3-day event draws hundreds of thousands of people to the city where it’s being held and normally boasts a television audience of over 10 million people. As a result – and with a nod to the stagecraft of it all – the NFL wants to have the top players present.
After Fernando announced plans to stay home with his mother and father, Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning was tapped to try and convince the expected number one selection to reconsider his decision. The former quarterback made his best pitch, but Mendoza politely declined.
Fernando and his mother’s closeness has been well chronicled over the years. After he won the Heisman in December, Elsa Mendoza wrote an emotional letter of thanks to her son.
“And even as my condition has gotten worse, and as our lives continue to change around that fact: You manage to make me feel like I’m still every part of myself,” she shared. “Like I’m still that same person you’ve been teammates with since we got through our first Boston winter together. Like I’m still that same mom.
“Your accomplishments will NEVER impact how proud of you I am. Because you are already everything I could have hoped for as a mother…. and that has nothing to do with the miles you throw or the touchdowns you score. It has everything to do with the man you’ve grown into.”
You can be sure Fernando’s mother wouldn’t have begrudged or blamed her son for wanting to be in Pittsburgh. She could have just as easily cheered him on from Florida – but he insisted on being with her for the special moment.
As the newest quarterback of the Las Vegas Raiders, Fernando Mendoza will be making lots of decisions – many under the literal and metaphorical pressure of very talented and strong players.
In his first one, though, he chose to honor his mother by staying home with the family – an indication that this young man, who also professes a deep faith in Jesus Christ, clearly has his priorities in order.
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