Fernando Mendoza carried mom’s grit to Las Vegas Raiders

HOUSTON — By the time the call came through, 2026 No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza was already bracing himself, unsure whether to celebrate or stay composed. He held it together until he heard his mother Elsa’s voice.

“I told myself, ‘Hold it in. It hasn’t even happened yet,’” he said. “And then once it happened, I was ecstatic. And hearing my mom say, ‘I’m so proud of you,’ that kind of broke me.

“I’m just so happy to have such a great support system, and so grateful and blessed for the opportunity.”

Mendoza’s rise from overlooked recruit to the top pick in the NFL Draft was shaped by his mother’s message not to limit himself. Her advice fueled his development and helped him push past early evaluations that dismissed him.

“That underdog mentality is always still there,” Mendoza said. “But it’s having unwavering optimism, and the message my mom gave me ‘don’t put a ceiling over your head’

“That unlocked the exponential growth. Although they ranked me 288th in Florida, I didn’t see myself as that. I didn’t see myself as a ranking. I just saw me as me.”

Man of the hour 😎 @fernandomendoza | #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/XgZVzeeA7U

— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) April 25, 2026

’Still an underdog’

That mindset carried into draft night, even as the Heisman Trophy winner said he still views himself as someone with everything to prove.

“Well, I believe I’m still the underdog,” he said. “Although the draft was today and I was picked one out of 32, I’m not one out of 32 quarterbacks at this moment.”

MORE FROM OUR ESQUINA

With dad’s work ethic, Taurean York steers Texas A&M defense

Inspired by Zach Calzada, Fernando Mendoza passes torch

Texas A&M star KC Concepcion speaks with authority

Fernando Mendoza brought that mentality into his preparation, understanding the gap between college success and NFL readiness. He didn’t want to wait until minicamp to close it.

“Well, I watched a lot of film,” he said. “I wasn’t necessarily installing this offense. I was installing a general NFL offense, getting more accustomed to under-center play and general West Coast concepts, which fit under this tree. It paid off taking that risk.

“I look forward to immersing myself into it.”