Fernando Mendoza Excels at Pro Day in Bloomington
Fernando Mendoza at Pro Day in Bloomington: I Want to Serve My Teammates
BLOOMINGTON, Ind.–Former Indiana Hoosier quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw nearly 60 passes at his pro day in Bloomington at Mellencamp Pavilion.
Only two of his passes were dropped as he threw the football to many of his former Indiana teammates like Elijah Sarratt, Lawrence North graduate Omar Cooper, and tight end Riley Nowakowski among others.
“I think the main goal today was to serve my teammates and I think I was able to do that by putting them in position to make plays. I’m very excited for them and their future,” said Mendoza to reporters afterwards.
Mendoza would call out the receiver’s name and the type of route that needed to be ran to help guide them in the right direction. That’s something that many NFL scouts say a quarterback doesn’t often do.
Mendoza says this is just another opportunity to grow, get better, and learn.
“There’s going to be a lot more for me to do under center. That’s a big adjustment I need to get used to. That and just the nature of the game. The hashes are going to be more condensed and the speed of the game is going to be faster. So I look forward to learning all of those things,” said Mendoza.
Mendoza has also said that his life has been busy ever since helping his Hoosiers win the National Championship on January 19 over Miami. He says he’s not letting that past success force him off course.
“I always remember what a great mentor like Coach (Curt) Cignetti would say, ‘Kill the complacency. Every day, make sure your are staying humble and hungry so you can be the best version of yourself possible,” said Mendoza.
Executives from all 32 NFL teams were present, including the Las Vegas Raiders. They have the #1 overall pick and have already made with Mendoza several times.
In the past, Mendoza has said he will be happy to play for any team that picks him. He also reiterated on Wednesday that he wants his teammates to be successful too.
“I just wanted to make sure everybody could 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. So I think everybody was showcased. It was amazing and it was great being back in Bloomington one more time without guys after such a fantastic finish (to the season),” said Mendoza.
Mendoza is the only Indiana Hoosier football player in history to win the Heisman Trophy. The NFL Draft is scheduled for April 23-25.
