One that will end with him, in all likelihood, as the first-overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the new face of the Las Vegas Raiders. So how did that week begin for the Indiana quarterback and 2025 Heisman Trophy winner?
By sitting down to chat with SB Nation first thing Monday morning.
“No other way I’d want to do it,” said Mendoza to me with a bright smile over Zoom on Monday.
“I would sum up the past year as a blessing,” began Mendoza.
“When I decided to take the leap of faith from California to Indiana, I was unsure about what the results would be. However, my parents made sure that I stayed focused in the present moment to then best serve my teammates and best serve my situation at hand. I’ve had great teammates and great coaches. Which allowed the team to win the Big Ten Championship, a national championship, and the team to win a Heisman, which was awesome.
“So, I would say this has been an ultimate blessing, and look forward to the next opportunity at hand.”
For years, I’ve described the NFL Draft as the world’s longest, strangest job interview.
I asked Mendoza how this process has been for him, and whether he would agree with that assessment. He began with a word I was not quite expecting.
“The NFL draft process has been extraneous,” started Mendoza.
“However, I am excited that I’ve been a part of it, and it’s been a complete honor. I’ve really enjoyed all the testing and quizzing, whether it’s been in Zoom, formal interviews with the Combine, or every single day, preparing like you have the largest job interview at hand, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
“It’s been a blessing, and although I said it has been extraneous, it’s been great to be able to quiz and test and poke and prod at it. Time for everybody to know who the real me is. It’s really hard to fake an interview, you know, over a couple months. Maybe one day you can fool somebody, but over a couple months, when everybody watches the film, does more research, they find out who you really are, so I’m really excited about how this process has already been going,” concluded Mendoza.
An area where Mendoza certainly stands out is as a leader, and with his competitive toughness. Take the Big Ten Championship Game, where he took an absolute shot early against Ohio State but quickly returned to the lineup to help Indiana win a title. Or the comeback against Penn State, and of course the tough fourth-down touchdown run against Miami in the National Championship Game.
Competitive toughness matters for a quarterback. Just ask Mendoza.
“I believe competitive toughness is one of the most important strengths for a quarterback to have, because the quarterback needs to be able to be resilient. And not only when things are going right, needs to inspire his team to then take the next step to then secure the win, but also when things are not going well, when the quarterback has a bad game, when the team loses, or when the team’s down in the fourth quarter, that competitive toughnessand competitive emotional toughness is extremely important, and I believe it’s a trait you see in all the top quarterbacks, and it’s a trait I’ve tried to emulate,“ described Mendoza.
However, in his unassuming fashion, Mendoza conceded he still has much to learn about this trait, and being a leader.
“I still need to learn a lot more about it,” added Mendoza.
“I still have a long way to go with my competitive toughness, but I believe I’m on the right track, and I’ve learned from a lot of great mentors and idols before me.”
I then asked Mendoza if there was one play he would use to sum up his draft profile for teams, albeit with a caveat.
He could not pick that aforementioned run against Miami.
“Although that [run against Miami] looks like the clear-cut answer, that would not be my answer either way, because I like throwing the ball more. I believe I’m a very efficient passer,” started the Indiana quarterback.