Fernando Mendoza Talks Possibility of Playing for Tom Brady on Raiders, Not Attending NFL Draft

If Indiana star Fernando Mendoza is drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders first overall on Thursday, it means he'll get to be in the same building as legendary quarterback Tom Brady almost daily.

Mendoza said having such an opportunity "would mean the world" to him.

"It would mean the world. Tom Brady, he's going to pour into whatever quarterback they take or that they sign, like Kirk Cousins," Mendoza said on The Rich Eisen Show (2:40 mark). "To have that opportunity would be great. If I get selected by the Raiders, he'd be a boss, so it wouldn't be like how six-year-old Fernando envisioned it, you know, being best friends. But it would be cool, and I wanted to be pushed to be the best quarterback that I can become."

If the Raiders take Mendoza, which is widely expected, he won't be in Pittsburgh to celebrate. Instead, he decided to stay at home in Miami. He said he felt that was the best decision for his family.

"Pittsburgh is a great opportunity and a great venue and I'm really excited to see all of the guys walk across the stage on Thursday night. However, my mom really wanted me to do it at home," Mendoza said. "It's not easy for us, especially with the family situation, and I'm gonna have to hop on a plane the next morning anyway. For that travel, it'd be a lot easier to stay at home."

He added that he wanted to have as many of his people around him as possible.

"I wanted to make the memory with everybody who poured into my football journey," Mendoza said. "Mentors, family, coaches, friends. Being able to share that memory with all of them is going to be the best memory I can make."

Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department considers Mendoza to be the top quarterback and the No. 3 overall player in this year's draft class. In the latest mock draft from B/R, Mendoza is projected to go to the Raiders at No. 1.