Congratulations to Fernando Mendoza! 👏
On Thursday, April 23, 2026, Catholic Indiana Hoosiers football star Fernando Mendoza became the No. 1 pick for the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL draft.
Fernando Mendoza has circulated on social media over the last several months as a devout Catholic who attends Mass regularly, prays the rosary, and prioritizes prayer before games.
The former Indiana football player spoke during a press conference on January 7, 2026, ahead of Indiana’s semifinal game against Oregon at the Peach Bowl.
Mendoza explains his pre-game routine, saying he does not listen to music, but meditates in prayer so he can “stay cool, calm, and collected.”
Here is the video of Fernando Mendoza explaining his pre-game prayer routine below:
Shortly after he revealed his routine, this video of Mendoza praying before a game went viral:
You really don’t see this often.
— Jack (@jackunheard) January 20, 2026
Indiana Quarterback Fernando Mendoza kneels to pray ahead of the College Football Championship.
God bless him. 🙏🏻
pic.twitter.com/XySm1mveT4
Fernando Mendoza is no stranger to making public declarations of faith.
In November of 2025, ChurchPOP reported Mendoza’s declaration of faith on FOX. He “gave all glory to God” after Indiana’s victory against Penn State.
Then, in December of 2025, Mendoza praised God after he won the Heisman Trophy.
“First, I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to chase a dream that once felt a world away,” he said.
Father Patrick Hyde, OP, a Dominican priest and pastor of the Newman Center at Indiana University, congratulated Mendoza for his historic achievement.
He made Mendoza's Mass attendance a central part of this congratulatory statement:
"The guy you see every Sunday at Mass," Father Hyde wrote in the text overlay of his video.