Fernando Mendoza reveals why he doesn’t have a girlfriend as Raiders fans all say same thing

Fernando Mendoza’s goal has been clear from the very start – make it to the NFL.

The 22-year-old quarterback just led the Indiana Hoosiers to their first College Football Playoff National Championship in programme history.

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Not even a few hours had passed since he hoisted the trophy before the Heisman Trophy winner, an old clip has re-surfaced of when Mendoza was playing for Cal in the ACC.

A young Mendoza has no time for a girlfriend

In this clip, the young quarterback speaks about the sacrifices he has made to put himself in the best decision to reach the NFL, including going into detail as to why he doesn’t have a girlfriend.

“I know myself and I know that it was such a short period of time that if I have a really really good next year, next two years, I can make the NFL and I believe I will make the NFL,” Mendoza prophecized.

“However at this point, I’ve got to limit all distractions. I live a three minute walk from the facility where we have our weight room, our practice facility and our stadium.

“So I think that’s very important and close, especially with the girls it can be very distracting now. I mean, you might find your first love at college and stuff like that,

“But know that if I finish class at six, I’m gonna give everything my all, so if I have a girlfriend, I’m gonna give her my all.

“That means I’m gonna go back from six to nine, just go hang out with her and maybe get dinner or something rather than maybe picking up dinner on the way back to class and watching extra film for the game week.”

NFL fans joke Las Vegas might be the worst place for Mendoza to end up

Now that Mendoza has enjoyed the fairytale end to his collegiate career, all his attention will now turn toward the NFL draft, where he is currently projected to go No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Unless of course, minority owner Tom Brady – who is heavily involved in the decision-making process – opts to snub the Hoosiers star.

However, fans have joked that Las Vegas may be the worst possible place for Mendoza to wind up if he’s looking for a distraction-free life.

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“I really pray for this kid in Las Vegas, he’s going to face the biggest temptations in the world there,” said one fan.

“Poor kid is gonna get absolutely railroaded by Las Vegas gold diggers,” joked another.

“Sending him to Vegas might be the biggest mistake ,” added a third.

Others just loved his mentality.

“He’s locked in,” said one.

“This kid is gonna be a superstar,” another posted.

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Having transferred from Cal to Indiana after two seasons in 2025, Mendoza was nurtured by coach Curt Cignetti into a superstar.

In their 16-0 undefeated campaign, the quarterback completed 72 percent of his passing for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns to just six interceptions.

He also rushed for an additional 276 yards and ran in seven scores.

In the wake of winning a natty, Mendoza updated his LinkedIn page to share lessons he had learned from the Hoosiers’ sublime run to glory.

“Monday night, my teammates and I had the honor of raising the National Championship trophy and bringing a CFB title back to Bloomington, Indiana, for the first time in history,” Mendoza wrote.

“With the guidance of our coaches and the unwavering support of Hoosier Nation, our band of brothers made the unbelievable believable.

“Here’s what winning a National Championship taught me about B2B sales (kidding…kinda)

“1. Believe in yourself: Four years ago, I was a two-star recruit playing high school football 30 minutes from Hard Rock Stadium with a dream of playing at the highest level.

“Two days ago, I became a National Champion in that same stadium, surrounded by the family who never stopped believing in me.

“2. Take the risk: When it’s 4th and 5 at the 12-yard line, go for it.

“3. Remember who got you there: Thank you to my teammates, coaches, support staff, professors, and everyone behind the scenes who helped make this happen.”

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