Imago
Credits: IMAGO
Imago
Credits: IMAGO
Two days before Fernando Mendoza received the 2025 Heisman Award, his mother, Elsa, gave him a tag: a true teammate. It wasn’t because of how he pushed the Indiana Hoosiers to their first college football national championship title, but because he stood strong beside her. This is even more significant since Mendoza’s mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis over 15 years ago.
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Even though he is now moving to the professional league, the projected first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft will surely carry the tag of a true teammate ahead. But before that, he would rather skip shaking hands with the NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, on the big stage for something he has always cherished.
It is being reported that Mendoza is likely not going to attend the event in person. As per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Mendoza has already told the NFL that he does not want to travel to Pittsburgh for the draft. Instead, he plans to stay in Miami and enjoy the special moment with his family.
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Missing the draft means Mendoza won’t be there on stage, he won’t hold up his new team’s jersey in front of everyone, or shake hands with the commissioner. Instead, he plans to celebrate this moment differently at a private party in Miami with his family, with cameras set up to livestream his reaction. The location carries added meaning for Mendoza, who grew up in Miami, attended Christopher Columbus High School there, and remains closely connected to the city where his football journey began.
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Projected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza has informed the NFL that he is not planning to attend the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh this month, per sources. Mendoza wants to share the draft experience with his family in Miami. pic.twitter.com/ApUc7UmIDX
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 7, 2026
If Fernando Mendoza goes No 1 overall and skips the event, he will be the first top pick to stay home since Travon Walker in 2022. He joins a short list of top prospects who made similar choices, including Trevor Lawrence in 2021, Baker Mayfield in 2018, and Myles Garrett in 2017.
This is not the first time Mendoza has pulled something of this sort. At the Pro Day, Mendoza completed 53 out of 56 passes, and the only three incomplete passes happened because the receivers dropped the ball. However, he chooses not to take part in other drills or physical tests because he wants all of his other teammates to shine too.
“I just wanted to best showcase our guys,” Mendoza said after IU’s Pro Day. “Quarterbacks in the past have done shorter Pro Days than that. However, I just wanted to make sure everybody can showcase their abilities in front of all 32 NFL teams and really run routes that are applicable to the timing that we’re going to be running in the NFL.”
All this despite knowing the fact that he is the clear favorite to be picked No. 1 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders. Plus, the Raiders also sent important staff members to Indiana’s Pro Day, like general manager John Spytek, head coach Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko, and others. But even then, he was just focusing on what’s important for him and his teammates.
Since joining Indiana, Mendoza had been turning heads first with his exceptional performance, and then by winning the Heisman. After taking Indiana to their first championship win, if he is picked first in the NFL Draft, he will make history for them as he would become only the second player from the school ever to be chosen No. 1 overall, joining Corbett Davis, who achieved this way back in 1938. His path to Indiana itself reflected a long-term vision. After beginning his college career at California, Mendoza entered the transfer portal and later chose Indiana over a larger NIL opportunity from his hometown Miami Hurricanes program, prioritizing development and fit as he prepared for the next level.
That decision proved defining. Reports later indicated Miami’s offer exceeded $3 million in NIL value, yet Mendoza chose Indiana because he believed the situation would better prepare him for the NFL, a move that ultimately led to his Heisman season and championship run. But it turns out that football is not the ultimate goal for Fernando Mendoza.
Fernando Mendoza reflects on other career opportunities
Fernando Mendoza studied at the Haas School of Business while also playing football. He used the money he earned from his name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals to cover the costs of his final classes. As a result, he was able to complete his degree quickly and graduate in just three years.
Before the NFL Draft, Mendoza stressed his decision to choose California over Yale. He realized that if he had chosen Yale, his life could have taken a completely different direction. As football might not be in the picture for him, instead, he would have started a job in finance, possibly working on Wall Street as an analyst.
“First of all, I think it would have been a very cool experience to be around people who are a lot smarter than me and make friends with those people, just like I did at Berkeley,” Mendoza said to USA Today.
He believes that careers in finance are very useful because they help people earn money and take care of their families. In his view, these jobs can also make a big difference by helping others and improving lives. With that keen interest in finance, he also teases fans with his retirement plans.
“Who knows, maybe in the future, after football, there can be a career with that,” Mendoza said.
Fernando Mendoza is working with the U.S. Banks through a program called Financial Edge. As part of this, he talks about money and learning how to manage it properly. So, when you couldn’t find Mendoza on the football field, try to look out for him in the Big 4.
