Fernando Mendoza: I believe I'm still the underdog, I'm on the bottom of the totem pole

It’s finally official: Fernando Mendoza is a Raider.

While Las Vegas selecting Mendoza at No. 1 overall has been virtually guaranteed since the Raiders clinched the top pick, receiving the phone call was still a special moment for the quarterback.

“There's been a lot of anticipation whether I was going to end up here. And nothing was ever for certain except for tonight, so when I saw that call, I got a whole lot of chills on my entire body, and I was ecstatic,” Mendoza said on a video call with Raiders media just after the selection, via transcript from the team. “There's a lot of emotion even right now. However, I understand this is not the end of the journey, although this is a celebration, this is a start of a new thing. And like coach [Klint] Kubiak told me on the phone, to stay humble and hungry and to keep on trying to learn every single day.”

Mendoza noted that he would’ve felt like any team would be a good fit, but he felt like the Raiders were the best fit because of the coaching staff. But there are some others around the club, too, he’s looking forward to working with.

“[T]he great ownership ‚ whether it's Mr. [Mark] Davis, Mr. [Tom] Brady, what [could be] a better situation to walk into?” Mendoza said. “So, I think all the stars are aligning here, and this is a blessing, this position.”

Kubiak’s system has been thought of as a positive for Mendoza, who will enter the league after winning the Heisman Trophy and the CFP National Championship Game in 2025. Mendoza has been studying it already, which is part of why he felt like the Raiders were a great fit.

“I watched a lot of film,” Mendoza 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 does fit under this tree, which now paid off in taking that risk. Talking about fortune favors the bold, rolling the dice on that a little bit.

“But this scheme, it really allows the quarterback to be a point guard. I believe that my job — we have so many great playmakers, whether from the outside, tight end, running back or offensive line, I just need to get the ball to the playmakers and do my part of the offense and be my one-eleventh. And at that point, I believe this offense allows the quarterback to do that with such great coaches. I look forward to immersing myself into it.”

Mendoza’s journey to becoming the No. 1 overall pick has been unlikely, from heading to Cal to transferring to Indiana and leading that program to unprecedented success. While he was the top pick, he’s not taking the chip off his shoulder.