Fernando Mendoza

Fernando Mendoza is a professional football quarterback and a prominent figure in college football, currently associated with the Las Vegas Raiders. Mendoza began his football journey as a lightly recruited high school player, receiving scholarship offers from Yale and California. He chose to attend California, where he developed his skills and earned the starting quarterback role during his redshirt freshman year. In a notable game against USC, Mendoza threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns in a narrow 50-49 loss.

In his subsequent season with the Golden Bears, Mendoza completed nearly 69 percent of his passes for 3,004 yards and 16 touchdowns over 11 starts. After two seasons at California, he entered the transfer portal and joined Indiana, where he completed 72 percent of his passes, threw for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Mendoza led Indiana to its first conference championship since 1967 and secured the program's first national championship and undefeated season. In the College Football Playoff, he recorded an 8-to-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio and was named the College Football Playoff National Championship Game Offensive MVP. His achievements included winning the Heisman Trophy, being named a consensus first-team AP All-American, and receiving the Walter Camp Award, Davey O'Brien Award, and Maxwell Award. Mendoza became the first player in Indiana history to win the Heisman Trophy.

Mendoza is among a select group of players, including Joe Burrow and Cam Newton, to win the Heisman Trophy and a national championship and be selected first overall in the NFL Draft in the common draft era. He is the fifth Heisman Trophy winner drafted by the Raiders, joining Marcus Allen, Bo Jackson, Tim Brown, and Charles Woodson. Upon joining the Raiders, Mendoza was welcomed by several former Heisman winners from the organization. The Raiders signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, with Mendoza expected to develop under his mentorship. At his introductory press conference, Mendoza emphasized his commitment to earning his place in the NFL.

Mendoza graduated from the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business in three years and continued his academic pursuits in Business Administration at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business while playing Division I football. Off the field, Mendoza is involved in business, real estate, and finance, and established the Mendoza Family Fund in partnership with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to support individuals and families affected by MS. He was recognized as Best College Athlete in Men's Sports at the ESPYs, concluding a college career highlighted by a Heisman Trophy, national championship, and a standout playoff performance. Mendoza brings a combination of academic achievement, athletic skill, and leadership to his role as quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders.