Fernando Mendoza gets limited bobblehead creation made for diehard Raiders, Indiana fans

Fernando Mendoza gets limited bobblehead creation made for diehard Raiders, Indiana fans originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

The NFL season may be under three months away, but new Las Vegas quarterback Fernando Mendoza has already become a fan favorite without even taking his first NFL snap.

On Friday, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum (based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) unveiled a special Mendoza bobblehead to officially kick off the Las Vegas fanfare while helping to continue elevating Mendoza’s status as a professional athlete and public figure.

Co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar spoke highly of the project and of what it was like working with Mendoza as the Indiana Hoosiers propelled themselves to a national title win against the Miami Hurricanes in January, completing their undefeated season.

Mendoza was selected by the Raiders with the No. 1 overall pick in April in Pittsburgh, Pa., at the 2026 NFL Draft. With the Raiders’ draft choice, Mendoza became the first Hoosiers quarterback taken No. 1 overall, to go along with being the school’s first-ever Heisman Trophy winner.

“We’re excited to unveil this unique bobblehead featuring Fernando Mendoza standing next to the iconic bobbling Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, welcoming the quarterback to Vegas,” Sklar said in a statement. “Fernando is sure to be a fan favorite in Las Vegas, and this will be a must-have for his fans, including those in Vegas, his hometown of Miami, and of course, Indiana fans who cheered him and the Hoosiers on to the National Championship!”

Mendoza had a superb final collegiate season but didn’t want the credit to be placed solely on him following the historic milestone.

“That’s one thing about our team,” Mendoza told ESPN after the win. “We’re always going to put it all on the line. I had to go airborne. I’d die for my team. Whatever they needed me to do.”