The Las Vegas Raiders have one of the most buzzed-about quarterbacks in the NFL in rookie Fernando Mendoza, and he’s getting his feet wet in the league.
Mendoza comes from the world of college sports, so being in the NFL means more media attention and brings a different level of responsibility.
While Mendoza is obviously thrilled to be linked with the Raiders, and the feeling is mutual, there’s one thing he doesn’t like about the NFL, in his experience so far.
Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza would rather be on the field than talking to the press
Speaking with Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated in a piece out on Thursday, Mendoza admitted that he would rather be playing football than doing the media rounds.
“I’m going to be completely honest with you. I’d rather be practicing right now and I was really upset about actually having to miss practice for this,” he said in the interview. “Although it’s great… it’s still been a great moment to where it was mandatory I be here. I’m not going to feel sorry for myself and feel wishy-washy. I’m going to have a smile on my face and make the most of that present moment.”
He added: “Live and learn all the NFL pay benefits, make all the connections with different mentors here, let me make sure I can maximize my time to be able to create a positive impact and learn about my situation and surroundings. So those are all things that I really benefited from being here.”
It’s great to hear Mendoza use words like wanting to make a “positive impact” and “learn about” his situation. That’s partly why the Raiders have veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins on the roster, to help get Mendoza acclimated to his new life in the NFL. And, yes, that means doing press. Sorry, Mendoza.