Fernando Mendoza has become the face of Las Vegas sports after being taken No. 1 overall by the Raiders in the NFL Draft. But while he may be the face of Vegas sports, he seems to be trying to avoid the most iconic part of Vegas itself.
In an interview with The Athletic, Mendoza admitted that he's been deliberately avoiding the iconic Vegas Strip. He said he treats it almost like a haunted house due to all of the warnings he's received from people about its dangers.
“I’ve been there once or twice, but I haven’t really experienced the Strip,” Mendoza told Michael Silver. “It’s like a boogeyman. A lot of people talk about the Strip like, ‘You don’t want to go there.’
“It’s like when you’re a kid; you’re trick-or-treating, and there’s the haunted house. You’re not trying to go over there.”
Raiders fans were understandably thrilled to learn that Mendoza's sole focus is on football and not the distractions of Las Vegas.
"He’s a good boy, he loves his momma, he loves Jesus…and America too," one fan replied with pride.
"Great column, Silver. Safe to say Mendoza's work habits aren’t like the other no 1 overall pick the Raiders drafted in 2007," another remarked.
"I like this. As an IU grad, I hope to see him thrive too. There aren't any Waffle Houses in Vegas, but there sure are plenty of glitzy and glamorous hotels like there are in NYC!" a third wrote.
"That’s an all time quote right there."
© Candice Ward-Imagn Images
Expectations
Despite enduring four straight losing seasons and a 7-37 record over the past two years, the Raiders are in no big hurry to get Mendoza onto the field. Rather than name him the Week 1 starter, the team has instead given the nod to veteran Kirk Cousins until further notice.
That could obviously change at the first sign of struggles from Cousins (and given the last few years, that seems likely to occur soon), but the Raiders view Mendoza as a talent that needs to be developed, not one that has to risk life and limb to try and double their win total from three to six.
