Raiders' legacy well‑represented as Hispanic Football Hall of Fame inducts first class

It was a night of immense pride and cultural significance.

Of representation and belonging.

Inclusion and perseverance.

The inaugural Hispanic Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 was inducted in a Celebración de Fútbol ceremony at the Raiders' indoor facility Tuesday night and, when it came to the home team, the entire affair had a certain Silver and Black vibe to it.

Three of the seven members of the inaugural class were Raiders - Tom Flores, Jim Plunkett and Ted Hendricks - and there was also a bridge from the Then to the Now when it came to the Raiders on this evening.

No. 1 draft pick Fernando Mendoza was also feted as the Hispanic college football player of the year for his exploits in leading Indiana to the national championship while winning the Heisman Trophy.

Yeah, the same award Plunkett won 55 years earlier.

Mendoza could not attend but I asked the quarterback about the accolade during Raiders rookie minicamp.

"Well, it's a great honor, and there's been many great Hispanic players, like we just mentioned, Jim Plunkett," Mendoza told me. "There's a lot of other great … Hispanic players in college this year.

"Really makes me proud for my grandparents, immigrating from Cuba, and to be able to - I mean, all four of my grandparents immigrated from Cuba - them being able to live the American dream and then now, allowing me to be on this stage, it means a lot."

Plunkett, wearing his Hispanic Hall of Fame blazer, took the stage at Raiders HQ. So, too, did Hendricks. And while Flores was unable to travel to the event, his son Scott spoke on his behalf and talked about those that "earned it, but were less represented."

Hendricks, the 6-foot-7 game-changing linebacker born in Guatemala to a Guatemalan mother, joked that no one believed he was Guatemalan because "they're small, and I was so tall."

Plunkett, meanwhile, gave credit to his former Raiders coach.

"Tom Flores instilled a lot of things in me besides football," Plunkett said. "About being Hispanic. About working harder than anybody else.

"I'm so proud to be here to be a part of this. Work hard, study hard, do the best you can and, if you fall short, get up and try again."

Plunkett's message resonated loudly with a fellow Hispanic Hall inductee.

Ron Rivera, the former coach of the Panthers and Washington, referred to Plunkett as the "Comeback Kid" and advocated for him to gain inclusion into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Rivera also lauded Flores and fellow Canton enshrinee Anthony Muñoz.

"These are men that I wanted to emulate," Rivera said. "These are men I wanted to be like. They set the tone, the tempo. They set the standard of what it meant to be a Hispanic football player."

As one of nine selectors for the Hispanic Football Hall of Fame, helping choose this inaugural class was more than an honor as the other two enshrinees were the late Tom Fears and the late Steve Van Buren.

I can't wait to start compiling a list for next year's class (Joe Kapp? Tony Gonzalez? Jeff Garcia? Max Montoya?). But not before acknowledging Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto being named the Hispanic pro player of the year and Ryan Estrada, a running back at El Dorado High School in El Paso, Texas, as the Hispanic high school player of the year.

Plus, Muñoz said he took a special pride in being a role model.

"I wanted to make sure that I was a good example for not only the youth, but the Hispanic youth," he said.

"I want to take the platform that we have not only teaching football, but teaching character, integrity, respect."

Muñoz and Rivera are both founding board members of the Hispanic Football Hall of Fame, and Rivera took the gathering to church…figuratively and financially.

"The Hispanic community represents 19% of today's $160 billion of today's sports economy," he said. "Hispanics spend 15% more than non-Hispanics on ticketing, streaming, TV packages, digital media and merchandise. And looking forward, our community represents $1 out of every $3 in the U.S. sports economy, as it's estimated to grow to $300 billion by 2035. That's the power the Hispanic community has on sports."

So why establish such a Hall and such annual awards program now?

"We're doing this as a representation of who we are as a community," Rivera said. "We're just not fans; we're athletes. We're performers. We support our players. We support our athletes. That's why we're doing this.

"Who we are should be celebrated, and that's what we're doing. We're here to celebrate greatness, and what it truly does look like. Especially in our community."