Star quarterback Fernando Mendoza revealed to reporters that he briefly had a 'very special' moment with Tom Brady when he spoke to the Las Vegas Raiders during an interview
20:18 ET, 27 Feb 2026
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza answers questions from the media during the NFL Scouting Combine on February 27, 2026 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN
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Fernando Mendoza recalled a moment he had with Tom Brady on the phone(Image: Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Fernando Mendoza shared a "special moment" he had with Tom Brady.
Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner and national champion, is widely expected to go No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft to the Las Vegas Raiders, the team Brady is a co-owner of. As such, many believe that the star quarterback will be the Raiders' quarterback of the future, especially with Brady potentially as a mentor.
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During his media availability at the Draft Combine, Mendoza shared a brief moment he had with the seven-time Super Bowl winner. His revelation comes after a team asked him to get arrested so that he would slip in the draft.
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"Yeah, when I walked into the formal interview for the Raiders, I was able to say a brief hi on the phone to Brady and so that was very special to me," Mendoza began to reporters, "and look forward to meet him in person, hopefully, one day and learning from him."
Mendoza added that he would relish the opportunity to pick Brady's brain and learn from him if he does get selected by the Raiders with the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft.
"Yeah, I mean, who hasn't admired Tom Brady, guys? I mean, more Super Bowl rings than anybody, anybody! So that opportunity would be fantastic," he continued.
"Tom Brady, I believe, is the greatest quarterback of all time by a wide margin and to be able to have the opportunity to be mentored by him would, it would mean so much.
Fernando Mendoza of the Indiana Hoosiers speaks to the media during the 2026 NFL Draft Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on February 27, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana
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Mendoza's interaction with Tom Brady spoke volumes as the star quarterback looks ahead to the 2026 NFL Draft(Image: Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
"And especially to learn and I'm all about learning, so from day one, you know, I got to learn a lot. It's going to be a long journey and to have, potentially, have a mentor like that would be pretty impressive and pretty meaningful."
Along with pondering the opportunity to learn from Brady, Mendoza also thanked Indiana for allowing him to grow and for the chance to link up with other prominent quarterbacks. Of note, he mentioned speaking with Eli, Peyton Manning, and Daniel Jones.
"I can't thank the city of Indianapolis and the whole state of Indiana enough for the fantastic year and be able to spend it with those legends was a remarkable night," he added.
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"Being able to learn from Peyton, learn from Eli, learn from Daniel. I'm the young pup in that group. To be able to take that knowledge and some nuggets from them and hopefully apply to my game, whether it's this offseason training or the rookie season, I'm really fortunate for it."
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With the Heisman Trophy winner more than likely selected as the No. 1 overall pick, Mendoza was asked by CBS Sports what he would most like to learn from Brady, provided he goes where he is projected.
"I would say his system and his discipline," he said to the outlet. "The way he has a system - the TB12 Method. I've already read the book. Everything that he's all about is something that I've always emulated as a football player. And anything the coaching staff has as coaching points, like, 'Hey Fernando, we need you to get better at this, this, and that,' I'm gonna be like, 'Hey Tom, how do I get better at this, this, and that?'
“If I get selected by Mr. Spytek and the Raiders. If that does happen, it'd be a great opportunity. But any team I get drafted by, I look forward to utilizing their former quarterbacks as well.”