Fernando Mendoza Interview From Middle School Surfaces, Shows He's Always Been Humble
Fernando Mendoza was taken first overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL Draft on Thursday, completing his journey from unheralded recruit to NFL quarterback. Starting as a three-star recruit, Mendoza only received one offer from a Power 4 school, signing with California and redshirting his freshman year. Through his journey, Mendoza has stayed humble and always thanked those who got them there, and this video of him at 13 years old shows he's always been like that.
TRENDING: This video of 13-year-old #Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza getting interviewed in 2017 has resurfaced and gone viral.
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) April 25, 2026
Mendoza has since gone on to win the National Championship, Heisman trophy, and was the #1 pick.
Remarkable.
(@BenjaminCureTV) pic.twitter.com/yjpDRbUYOp
In the video, Mendoza is being interviewed by his classmate, Benjamin Cure, who posted the video on X in January of this year. Mendoza is being interviewed about his performance post-game, but he doesn't try to take the shine. When asked what it takes to win, Mendoza gave his teammates their props.
"The defense did amazing," said Mendoza. "All of the receivers did amazing, they didn't drop a ball, they were spot on. It was really more of a team effort."
Mendoza's interview after winning the National Championship in January shows a similar sentiment: He is a team-first guy. As the confetti fell, a tearful Mendoza chose to thank his teammates before acknowledging his first play.
"My offensive lineman blocked perfectly," said Mendoza. "And we were able to execute as a team towards a common goal, and had the Indiana Hoosier synergy to score and give our team a chance to win the game."
Mendoza took it even further, saying in the interview, "I'm gonna die for my team out there, and I know they'd do the same." The Raiders hope that Mendoza can bring that attitude to Las Vegas and right the ship for a team that went 3-14 last season.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Apr 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the Sports section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 6:30 AM.