David Furones: Mendoza going No. 1 as a Hispanic QB from S. Florida will be groundbreaking
When Fernando Mendoza accepted the Heisman Trophy in December, he spoke Spanish for his grandparents during his speech. His grandmother was gleaming with joy and blowing kisses to him on stage. When Mendoza showed up to the NFL scouting combine in February, he proudly posed for photos with a Cuban flag, extending it across his 76 3/4-inch wingspan in one image and draping it over his shoulders in another.
On Thursday night, Mendoza, the quarterback who led the Indiana Hoosiers to their first national title last season, is widely expected to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft to the Las Vegas Raiders. When Commissioner Roger Goodell calls his name, it will be a milestone moment for the Hispanic/Latino community in football — and for South Florida, as Miami’s own will be the top prospect selected.
Take a look through a list of No. 1 picks in NFL draft history. You won’t find a Hispanic last name.
Jim Plunkett, drafted out of Stanford to the New England Patriots No. 1 in 1971 and who later led the Raiders to two Super Bowls, is Mexican-American. One would have to know that about him, though, as his last name comes from his Irish-German paternal grandfather.
The name Mendoza is unmistakable, and it will forever be in the company of the others selected first in the draft. I grew up in the same general area as Mendoza in Miami. My high school, Southwest, is one of the two nearest public schools to Mendoza’s, Columbus.
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