WASHINGTON — When President Donald Trump looked out at the crowd of Indiana University football players gathered on the South Lawn Monday afternoon, one familiar name was conspicuously absent: Fernando Mendoza.
The former Hoosiers quarterback, now the No. 1 overall pick of the Las Vegas Raiders, had a very good excuse. He called the President himself last week to explain why he couldn't make the White House visit honoring IU football.
"He's a big fan of ours, but you wouldn't believe it because he didn't show up," Trump joked from the podium. "I'm not happy, but that's OK. The reason he didn't is because he's at spring training…like his first day or something. I said you better go there."
Mendoza's decision wasn't made lightly. As a rookie trying to earn his stripes in the NFL, he knew where his priorities had to be. "I believe May 11 is the first day of OTAs," Mendoza told reporters in Las Vegas last week. "I'm at the bottom of the totem pole, I've got to prove myself. I can't miss practice. As a rookie I don't think that's a good look."
That kind of mindset is exactly why Mendoza went first overall in the NFL Draft. It's also why he wasn't the only former Hoosier missing from the ceremony. All eight Indiana players drafted last month were absent, still getting acclimated with their new teams during the critical offseason period.
The timing proved tricky for many. Indiana scheduled the D.C. visit after spring practice wrapped up, but the late-spring date clashed with NFL offseason training schedules across the league. Trump quickly noticed the empty spaces in the crowd, calling out for players like Pat Coogan and D'Angelo Ponds, only to be told repeatedly they weren't there.
"Where's D'Angelo?" Trump asked, as current IU players shouted back "training camp." The President shook his head. "Oh, I can't believe it. No wonder you won."
Despite the absent stars, the ceremony moved forward with Indiana presenting Trump with a No. 47 jersey, a helmet, and a football. The President promised the players a tour of the Oval Office—a fitting perk for a program that's clearly producing NFL-ready talent, both on and off the field.