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The Las Vegas Raiders<\/a> have one of the most buzzed-about quarterbacks in the NFL in rookie Fernando Mendoza<\/a>, and he’s getting his feet wet in the league.<\/p>\n Mendoza comes from the world of college sports, so being in the NFL means more media attention and brings a different level of responsibility.<\/p>\n While Mendoza is obviously thrilled to be linked with the Raiders, and the feeling is mutual<\/a>, there’s one thing he doesn’t like about the NFL, in his experience so far.<\/p>\n Speaking with Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated<\/a> in a piece out on Thursday, Mendoza admitted that he would rather be playing football than doing the media rounds.<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n 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.”<\/p>\n 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<\/a> on the roster, to help get Mendoza acclimated to his new life in the NFL. And, yes, that means doing press. Sorry, Mendoza.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nRaiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza would rather be on the field than talking to the press<\/h2>\n
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