Fernando Mendoza eyes Tom Brady mentorship as Raiders hold top pick
Fernando Mendoza says he would relish the chance to be mentored by Tom Brady after meeting with the Las Vegas Raiders at the NFL Scouting Combine.
The presumptive first overall pick in April’s draft spoke briefly by phone with the seven-time Super Bowl champion during his formal interview in Indianapolis.
Brady is a minority owner of the franchise, and the young prospect described the interaction as "very special".
"I mean, who hasn’t admired Tom Brady?" said the former Indiana quarterback on Friday.
"That opportunity would be fantastic. Tom Brady, I believe, was the greatest quarterback of all time by a wide margin."
Learning from a legend
Mendoza emphasized his desire to absorb knowledge from the future Hall of Famer should he land in Nevada.
"To be able to have the opportunity to be mentored by him, it would mean so much," he said.
"From day one, I have got to learn a lot. It is going to be a long journey."
The Heisman Trophy winner believes having access to such experience would be vital for his development.
"To potentially have a mentor like that, it would be pretty impressive and pretty meaningful."
Raiders hold the cards
Las Vegas hold the first selection in the draft after enduring a difficult 3-14 campaign last season.
While Mendoza is the heavy favourite to be selected first, he refused to assume his destination is guaranteed.
"Well, the pick has not been selected yet," Mendoza stated.
"Whatever team drafts me, I am extremely grateful. Whether it’s the number one pick or the last pick in the draft, I’d be blessed."
Chalk talk and silverware
The 20-minute session with the Raiders staff involved reviewing game tape and drawing plays on a whiteboard.
"It was a fantastic interview," Mendoza said. "I thought it was a great meeting, and I know they have the prospective number one pick, but anything can happen."
Mendoza enters the professional ranks following a historic undefeated season in 2025 where he led the Hoosiers to their first national championship.
His dominance was reflected in voting for college football’s most prestigious individual award, appearing on 95.16% of all ballots.