Las Vegas is renowned for its vibrant atmosphere and endless entertainment options, yet the city’s newest football sensation, Fernando Mendoza, seems unfazed by its most iconic feature.
Ever since becoming the top pick for the Raiders, Mendoza has familiarized himself with the city. However, in a candid chat with The Athletic, he revealed a surprising stance. Despite having visited the famed Strip a handful of times since his recent move, the quarterback expressed an unwavering disinterest in making it a frequent destination.
“It’s like a boogeyman,” Mendoza explained, drawing a colorful analogy. “People talk about the Strip like it’s something to avoid.”
He continued with a vivid metaphor, “It’s like when you’re a kid, trick-or-treating and there’s that one house on the block that looks haunted. You just don’t want to go near it.”
Mendoza’s reluctance toward the Strip should raise few eyebrows, given his focused demeanor and grounded personality.
Much like Kirk Cousins — the signal caller currently sitting ahead of him on the Raiders’ depth chart — Mendoza has developed quite the reputation for being a goody two-shoes.
And even though he’s now a professional making NFL money in Sin City, the 22-year-old former Indiana star made it clear he’s not changing his stripes anytime soon.
“Las Vegas is one of the entertainment capitals of the world,” he said. “But I have a job to do, and it’s football. I don’t have anybody that really relies on me, if that makes sense, so I can just be psycho about football.
“And then every once in a while, on an off day or night, I can go out to a movie and watch ‘Spiderman’ or ‘The Odyssey’ or something.
“In Vegas, there is a lot to do, and sometimes it can be seen as activities that wouldn’t be supporting a healthy football lifestyle. But there are different things that you can go see and do that aren’t degenerative activities, per se. There are some great restaurants. But I’m probably not going to be playing blackjack till late at night.”
Raiders fans will get their first look at the squeaky-clean Mendoza in game action later Thursday, when he’s expected to play a few series in Las Vegas’ home tilt with the Cardinals at 5 p.m. PT.