By Rory Carroll
April 23 (Reuters) - Fernando Mendoza said he was "ecstatic" to join the Las Vegas Raiders after the Indiana quarterback was selected, as expected, with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday.
Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy while leading the Hoosiers to a 16-0 record and a national championship last season, said he was eager to take the next step in his career.
"College was fantastic and I'm so blessed to have had that career, but now I step into the great game in the NFL,"
he said. "I look forward to earning it and proving it every day."
RAIDERS REBUILD
The Raiders are banking on Mendoza's accurate passing, sound decision-making and toughness to help revive one of the league's most storied franchises.
The team are coming off a dismal 3-14 season in which they scored a league-low 241 points, and have not won a playoff game since before the 22-year-old Mendoza was born.
General Manager John Spytek said the decision to draft Mendoza was not a "coronation" but the product of a process in which the quarterback impressed the organization at every stage.
"He's a hard-working, driven and extremely smart young man," Spytek said.
Mendoza is expected to be mentored by Raiders minority owner and seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, and joins a quarterback room that also includes veteran Kirk Cousins and 2023 draft pick Aidan O'Connell.
FRANCHISE QUARTERBACK
Raiders fans will hope Mendoza will become the franchise quarterback they have long sought.
"I expect fans to see a guy who comes out and gives his best to Raider Nation," Spytek said.
"He's going to compete his tail off with Kirk and with Aidan. As we've said, this is a meritocracy in the NFL. The best guy will play. But we expect him to come in ready to roll — that's the kind of person he is."
Mendoza completed 71.5% of his passes last season, throwing for 2,980 yards and accounting for 39 total touchdowns.
After NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced his name from the stage in Pittsburgh, Mendoza hugged his mother and beamed a big smile as he put on a Raiders cap.
"What a great organization, what a great legacy," Mendoza said of the Raiders, who have appeared in five Super Bowls and won three.
"There are so many great teammates, coaches and owners I'm looking forward to talking to. I'm ecstatic for the opportunity."
(Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
