Heisman Winner Fernando Mendoza Says He'd Be 'Blessed And Honored' To Play For Raiders

Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza is now starting to shift his mindset toward the NFL, which really was his goal when he transferred to Indiana.

Mendoza and the Hoosiers just happened to have a perfect season together that ended with an improbable national championship.

"It’s been a whirlwind," Mendoza said Monday night before receiving the Davey O’Brien Award as the nation’s top college quarterback. "I think now it’s finally settled in, and the dust has started to settle. The national championship, and then boom, next thing you know you’re on a new chapter."

The latest award ceremony for Mendoza, the transfer from Cal who grew up a few miles from Miami (Fla.)'s campus, came exactly four weeks after Indiana won its first national championship 27-21 over the Hurricanes in their home stadium. It was also a week before the NFL combine, and just over two months from the opening night of the draft on April 23, when Mendoza very well could be the No. 1 overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders and their new coach.

"I'd be blessed and honored to play for the Raiders, or I'd be blessed to play for any team," he said. "Any NFL team that drafts me, I'd be ecstatic. I know at the draft, I'll probably shed a tear or two just because it's such a full-circle moment for me. ... The goal of transferring to Indiana was to make the NFL. It wasn’t to be a great college player. It was to try to develop into being an NFL quarterback one day."

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Mendoza threw for 3,535 yards and an FBS-leading 41 touchdowns while completing 273 of 379 passes (72%) with only six interceptions. He had 4,712 yards passing and 30 touchdowns in 20 games over two