Fernando Mendoza made his debut in front of the Las Vegas media Friday afternoon for his first press conference since officially becoming a Raider. Flanked by GM John Spytek and Head Coach Klint Kubiak, the rookie quarterback fielded a barrage of cameras and questions with a measured confidence that immediately set the tone.
Read through from some of the top quotes from Mendoza's media availability.
On becoming a Raider:
"There's a lot of anticipation coming to this pick, but now I'm really glad that all of the outside noise is done. I'm officially a Raider. I'm excited to be humble and hungry and get to work."
On hearing from his new teammates on draft night:
"This morning and last night I was able to get a text from a couple of guys like Maxx Crosby, Tyler Linderbuam, Kolton Miller and Kirk Cousins. I'm sure there's been more, I'll be looking forward to reaching out to all my new teammates and most of those guys. It's been a whirlwind in the past couple hours, but Kirk sent me really nice text, looking forward to working with him, learning anything I can from him, and just a great not only teammates that I will learn from but also the great coaches."
On the legacy of the Raiders franchise:
"It's a huge responsibility, but it's also a huge honor to honor the legacy. The Raiders are a core historic franchise and one of the faces of the NFL, and I feel like, again, I need to prove it and earn it every single day. If I wear number 15 this year, whether or not that happens, I mean, Tom Flores was able to coach and win two Super Bowls and also wear number 15 as a quarterback. He has cemented that number. So, I feel like every corner you turn, you see Mr. [Jim] Plunkett, Mr. [Tim] Brown, Mr. [Marcus] Allen, like everybody, Mr. [Fred] Biletnikoff, and I really appreciate all the legends coming out here today. It means so much to see the alumni and really shows what a first class organization this is. So, I'm stoked and ready to prove it."
On his mindset coming to the Raiders:
"Especially as a rookie, nothing's given, and my belief in that everything is earned. So, I'm going to come in humble, try to establish myself with my work ethic and lead by example, but at the end of the day, it's all great saying these words, but I've got to do it."
On launching the Mendoza Family Fund, supporting families affected by multiple sclerosis:
"We started the Mendoza Family Fund, which we were able to get a good donation to. Starting off and have been blessed in my journey and I believe one of my pillars and my identities is giving back and helping fighting MS, giving to the community. So, that was a huge part of my identity, and it's something that our family really wanted to do."
On connecting with the Hispanic history of the Raiders:
"The history of the Raiders, especially the Hispanic history, is like no other. I believe it's probably the most Hispanic fan base and legends like Mr. [Jim] Plunkett, like Mr. [Tom] Flores. I mean, all those legendary Hispanic idols and cornerstones of the franchise. It means a lot as a Cuban American to come to this franchise and help try to carry the torch. But again, I've got to prove it, and I'm really looking forward to connecting with the Hispanic community here."
On his impression of the Raiders throughout the draft process:
"I'll say it was top notch. When I came on my top 30 visit, I was blown away with everybody in the building. Top to bottom, you can see some, for sure, trickledown effect where everyone's first class, everyone's first class. That starts with Coach [Klint] Kubiak, Mr. [John] Spytek, Mr. [Mark] Davis, all the other owners. I'm really excited to be a part of this organization and this professionalism and the way that it's detail-oriented, how they give incredible effort and just the process."
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