Fernando Mendoza is known for being in control on the field, leading Indiana football to an undefeated season and national championship.
That carried over to his pro day on April 1, taking the rare step of announcing the teammates he was throwing to and the patterns they were running.
But what happened after the workout also impressed the Las Vegas Raiders, who picked him No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft.
John Spytek, the Raiders’ general manager, joined the “Up & Adams” podcast and revealed that Mendoza had the whole day planned.
“He picked the dinner spot and we had a great two-hour conversation with him,” Spytek said, who added Mendoza was “confident and in command of himself. That’s a lot of the qualities we were looking for in being a Raider and investing the first pick.”
Spytek didn’t recall the restaurant’s name, but called it a “French steak house.” That’s probably Uptown Cafe or Janko’s Little Zagreb.
“He got us a private room,” Spytek said. “You can’t be nervous about picking dinner spots if we’re going to hand the franchise to you.”
Shop IU football national championship merch
That was a natural carryover from the workout, according to the Raiders GM.
“It wasn’t lost on him that he was probably the media star of the show, but I know that’s not what it was about for him,” Spytek said. “He wanted to show out and show well, and that’s important because he’s a prideful and competitive kid, but it was very genuine. You get around him and you see the authenticity, the way that he operates around people. It was genuine for him to be there around his teammates and help them have great pro days, too, because there’s a lot on the line for them.”
Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar’s Hoosiers newsletter. Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: How did Fernando Mendoza impress the Raiders? By picking this dinner spot in Bloomington
Reporting by Scott Horner, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
