Fernando Mendoza reveals his priorities as Indiana White House visit looms: ‘Don’t think that’s a good look’

The Indiana Hoosiers’ White House visit is quickly approaching, but Fernando Mendoza is focused on his new job.

The former Indiana quarterback, who was drafted No. 1 overall less than two weeks by the Raiders, was asked about attending the school’s scheduled White House visit on May 11.

Mendoza replied that he was prepared to miss the White House visit, believing that it fell on the first day of OTAs and that he was at the “bottom of the totem pole” as a rookie.

“I can’t miss practice. … As a rookie, I don’t think that’s a good look,” he said. “I want to try to best serve my teammates and I don’t know if that’d be accomplishing that goal.”

Fernando Mendoza said he was at the “bottom of the total pole” as a rookie. AP

President Donald Trump routinely hosts championship teams across sports, though some teams and individual players have declined invitations. Getty Images

However, Mendoza admitted that he had to check the Raiders’ calendar, and it actually appears he will be free to attend the White House visit after all.

That’s because the first day of OTAs is on May 18, not May 11 as Mendoza believed.

Nonetheless, the quarterback has been with the Raiders this weekend for rookie minicamp.

“Yesterday I was like, ‘Wow, I have a lot to work on,'” he said. “Everyone here in rookie camp, these are all really, really good players, so I need to elevate my level of play when we go to OTAs [on May 18] and training camp.”

Mendoza helped Indiana produce a historic season in 2025, as the Hoosiers went 16-0 and won the school’s first national championship.

The quarterback, 22, also won the Heisman Trophy and finished the season with 41 passing touchdowns and 3,535 passing yards.

After wrapping up the Raiders’ three-day minicamp on Sunday, he will have a little over two weeks before OTAs begin.