Fernando Mendoza on Landing in Vegas

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, projected by many to be the first overall pick in the draft, kicked off the show's draft week coverage with a long conversation about family, culture, and the possibility of learning behind Tom Brady in Las Vegas.

Mendoza coined a word early. Nervous-cited. Rich loved it and said he'd steal it. Mendoza said the reality hit him during his top-30 visits. In two weeks, he'd be in NFL facilities. It wasn't a celebration of an ending. It was a celebration of a start.

His first memory of wanting to be a quarterback came watching the Patriots and Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium, Ryan Tannehill and Matt Moore and Tom Brady on the field. Now, 72 hours out, he might play on a team Brady helps run. The Raiders owner was on FaceTime for 15 seconds during the combine interview to wish him luck. Mendoza said the involvement of ownership from the top down was invigorating.

Rich asked about the Adam Schefter report that Mendoza had audibly flinched over a whiteboard play during the Raiders meeting. Mendoza denied saying anything audibly. What he said was that the play was a seven-step timing play. He drew it up correctly. What bothered him was leaving out the small nugget that it was seven-step timing. Not a grease board disaster.

On Indiana's season, Mendoza pointed to the three-game stretch where they beat Illinois, Iowa, and won a close one at Autzen against Oregon. Not because of the wins, but because of how tight the guys were under pressure. Then came the Penn State drive, minute left in Beaver Stadium, a cover-zero blitz beaten by a Cooper catch Mendoza called the catch of the year.

He credited head coach Curt Cignetti for culture from the top down. Cignetti barely gave Mendoza compliments all year to keep him humble. The one compliment came after a Pick 6 at Oregon. Cignetti walked up and said are you having fun yet, then reset him to the present. Indiana drove for the game-winner.

Mendoza's Pfizer partnership came from a personal place. His mother has multiple sclerosis. He pushed viewers to pfizerforall.com/screenings because April is National Cancer Prevention Month and 50 percent of Americans are behind on cancer screenings. His resilience, he said, comes from watching his mom fight every day with a smile.

On sitting behind Kirk Cousins if that's the plan, Mendoza said he'd sit. The coaching staff makes the best decisions. Sitting doesn't mean not competing. Everything should be earned, not given.

He chose to wait out the draft at home with family instead of in Pittsburgh. His mother's situation made it easier, and he wanted to share the moment with everyone who poured into his football journey.

Rich's closing note was simple. Be yourself. Mendoza was.