Fernando Mendoza spent college summers interning at real estate and investment firms — and approached the draft like a job interview.
Jon Small
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edited by
Sherin Shibu
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Apr 24, 2026
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Fernando Mendoza just became the #1 pick in the NFL draft, but he didn’t audition for the job like a typical jock. The Indiana quarterback spent his college summers interning at commercial real estate and investment firms. He’s a proud finance wonk who studied business. And the only social media he keeps on his phone is LinkedIn.
That mindset shaped how he approached the draft. Knowing the Las Vegas Raiders would pick him first, Mendoza didn’t waste time celebrating. He started working independently with former NFL quarterback Brian Griese to learn the Raiders’ offense before he was officially hired. They’ve been practicing the playbook that new coach Klint Kubiak is bringing from Seattle, giving Mendoza an invaluable head start on the steep learning curve most rookie quarterbacks face.
At the scouting combine, Mendoza told The Wall Street Journal: “Right now I’m unemployed. I have no job. I’m just trying to do everything to hopefully get employed April 23rd.” It worked: His new job is Raider QB.
Fernando Mendoza just became the #1 pick in the NFL draft, but he didn’t audition for the job like a typical jock. The Indiana quarterback spent his college summers interning at commercial real estate and investment firms. He’s a proud finance wonk who studied business. And the only social media he keeps on his phone is LinkedIn.
That mindset shaped how he approached the draft. Knowing the Las Vegas Raiders would pick him first, Mendoza didn’t waste time celebrating. He started working independently with former NFL quarterback Brian Griese to learn the Raiders’ offense before he was officially hired. They’ve been practicing the playbook that new coach Klint Kubiak is bringing from Seattle, giving Mendoza an invaluable head start on the steep learning curve most rookie quarterbacks face.
At the scouting combine, Mendoza told The Wall Street Journal: “Right now I’m unemployed. I have no job. I’m just trying to do everything to hopefully get employed April 23rd.” It worked: His new job is Raider QB.
