“He rips into me”: Fernando Mendoza reveals how a Hall of Fame legend’s hard coaching shaped his NFL future | NFL News
Fernando Mendoza knows what it feels like to have everything go right. At first, Indiana went undefeated and won the Heisman Trophy. Plus, he sealed the national title with a fearless leap into the end zone against Miami, the hometown program that once overlooked him. It looked like the perfect ending, the kind built for documentaries and highlight reels.Now the lights feel different. The NFL does not care about college glory, and Mendoza understands that better than most. As the projected No. 1 pick prepares for the April 23, 2026, draft in Pittsburgh, he keeps replaying a moment where praise never came. Instead, a Hall of Fame quarterback stopped him mid-celebration and pointed out something small that could have ruined everything at the next level.
Peyton Manning ‘s footwork lesson that shaped Fernando Mendoza’s NFL future
Speaking with Andrew Cheroff, Fernando Mendoza shared a lesson from HOF Peyton Manning while he was at the Manning Passing Academy. He was learning to operate under center after years in spread offenses. He fired a strong pass and felt proud of the result. Peyton Manning was watching him and saw a problem.“I was feeling good because I just threw a great ball in front of a Hall of Fame quarterback,” Mendoza said in the online interview. “And he rips into me. He’s like, ‘That’s the wrong footwork!’”That moment stuck. Mendoza said the coach broke down every step and explained how poor mechanics lead to sacks, tipped passes, and interceptions in the NFL.Mendoza said in the same interview, “And I think that the advice, especially with play-action, and how that translates to the NFL, and how that translated to the Indiana offense, always struck with me because it says, ‘Okay, yeah, you’ve made a good throw, but the throw won’t be there if the defenders don’t come up and get attracted to the run.’ The star-QB further elaborated how the lesson helped him: “At this point in the NFL, everyone can make the throws,” Mendoza said in the same interview. “It’s about the fine details. That’s what makes the great ones great. It’s the fine details.”That focus on details defined his season at Indiana. Mendoza played efficient football and protected the ball. He entered the College Football Playoff title game with more TD passes than incompletions, a number that helped cement his rise to the top of draft boards. The championship leap made Mendoza famous. The footwork correction may define his future. As draft night approaches, he is trusting that discipline and precision will carry him further than any highlight ever could.
