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It’s no secret how much Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza values his practice time. After all, Mendoza skipped a trip to the White House with his former Indiana teammates because it conflicted with the Raiders’ rookie minicamp.
“If it is on the first day of OTAs, like I said, I’m on the bottom of the totem pole here, I got to prove myself, I can’t miss practice,” Mendoza said of the decision. “As a rookie, I don’t think that’s a good look. I want to try to best serve my teammates, and I don’t think that would be accomplishing that goal.”
But some obligations you just can’t ignore, and that’s exactly why Mendoza is upset with the NFL before even taking a single snap in the league.
Fernandoza Mendoza Missed Practice Time To Attend NFLPA Rookie Premiere
Mendoza recently attended the NFLPA Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles, a multi-day event where the league’s top incoming players participate in business training, marketing shoots, and jersey reveals.
While attendance at the event is not technically mandatory, it is highly insinuated that if you receive an invitation, you are supposed to go.
That didn’t sit well with Mendoza, who told Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated that he would’ve much rather spent the time practicing.
“I’m going to be completely honest with you, I’d rather be practicing right now, and I was really upset about actually having to miss practice for this,” Mendoza said. “Although it’s great … it’s still been a great moment to where it was mandatory I be here.
“I’m not going to feel sorry for myself and feel wishy-washy. I’m going to have a smile on my face and make the most of that present moment.
“Live and learn all the NFL pay benefits, make all the connections with different mentors here, let me make sure I can maximize my time to be able to create a positive impact and learn about my situation and surroundings. So those are all things that I really benefited from being here.”
Ultimately, Mendoza turned the answer back around to sound like a positive. But it’s clear that he isn’t a huge fan of anything that doesn’t help him and his team improve.