Fernando Mendoza reveals why he’s sometimes an ‘a-hole’ on field

The former Indiana QB, selected No. 1 overall by Las Vegas in last week’s NFL draft, has garnered a reputation as a mild-mannered young man when he spoke in public. However, when it comes to leading his teammates on the field, he’s taken some inspiration from two legendary NFL quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre.

“Although I’ve came off as very humble and pretty fuzzy and warm, at the end of my Indiana career, when you have that equity you’re able to be like No. 4 [Favre] and No. 12 [Rodgers],” Mendoza said in an interview. “If you ask my teammates, that’s stuff that I was. I wasn’t always the nice guy, I was an A-hole sometimes, I wanted everyone to do their 1/11th, everyone to do their job, hold everyone to a high standard.”

But coming into Las Vegas as a rookie, Mendoza was also cognizant of the fact that he would have to earn that leadership role with his new team.

Mendoza showed just what he could do last year as he helped lead the Hoosiers to a national title — the university’s first in football — and took home the Heisman Trophy.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza speaks at introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center after being selected as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

“However, coming to a new organization, starting from the bottom of the totem pole, I believe that leadership is earned, not given,” Mendoza added. “There’s so many amazing leaders on this team. Especially the quarterback, there’s two things you need to be a leader. Number one, you gotta play well. Play well, others will respect you, that’s why No. 4 and No. 12 are both Hall of Famers.

“You gotta play well, you gotta do your job before you can hold other people accountable. And, number two, you gotta create equity, whether it’s work ethic, whether it’s caring about your teammates, connect with them on a personal level. Just being one of the guys.”

Mendoza will wear No. 15 with the Raiders this upcoming season.

Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers rushes with the ball against the Miami Hurricanes in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Getty Images

Former Raiders quarterback and coach Tom Flores gave his blessing to Mendoza to wear the number, which is not retired and has been worn by other players in the past.

“He’s perfect,” Flores said of Mendoza. “He can make every throw. He can make the plays. What can’t he do? He does it all. He’s fun to watch.

“Plus, he’s a good-looking kid. Like me.”