Fernando Mendoza exceeded every expectation this past season. After transferring from the California Golden Bears to the Indiana Hoosiers, the 6-foot-5 quarterback put on a historic run overall.
He completed 72% of his passes for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns against only six interceptions. His performance led Indiana to a perfect 16-0 record and the school's first national title.
For his brilliant efforts, Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy -- the first in Indiana history and the first for a Big Ten quarterback since Troy Smith in 2006.
He is heavily favored to go No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, and he sits atop the draft boards of Mel Kiper Jr., Matt Miller, Jordan Reid, and Field Yates. Tom Brady's franchise has made no secret of their intentions.
They signed veteran Kirk Cousins shortly before the draft to a one-year deal with $20 million guaranteed in 2026, which is designed for Cousins to serve as a one-year bridge starter to mentor Mendoza.
Most people assumed Mendoza would be at the draft in Pittsburgh this Thursday in a glossy black suit and wait for Roger Goodell to call his name. But he has a very different plan.
In a clip shared Sunday via SportsCenter from “The Rich Eisen Show,” Mendoza confirmed he will skip the in-person ceremony and instead celebrate draft night at home in Miami surrounded by family, friends, coaches, and mentors.
"Pittsburgh is a great opportunity and it's a great venue," Mendoza told Eisen. "I'm really excited to see all the guys walk across the stage on Thursday night. It's going to be a dream for a lot of guys."
The 22-year-old explained that his mother wanted to celebrate at home. The logistics were also easier since they’d be flying out the next morning anyway. Most importantly, he wanted everyone who helped him get this far to be in the room when his name was called
"I wanted to stay and make the memory with everybody who poured into my football journey," Mendoza said. "Mentors, coaches, family, friends. You want to share that moment with all of them. That's going to be the best memory I can make — rather than being limited to 10 or 12 people in Pittsburgh."
Mendoza also made clear he has no intention of being a difficult partner for the league on one of its marquee broadcast nights. He told Eisen he would fulfill whatever media obligations the NFL or ESPN needed from him, such as cameras and interviews, but just from a different zip code.
