Raiders' No 1 pick Fernando Mendoza surprises Cal's MBA commencement by walking the stage for undergrad degree

Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 wide prime successful the 2026 NFL Draft, took clip distant from the Las Vegas Raiders to crook his tassel, and perhaps, amusement disconnected his limb by flinging his headdress successful a graduation ceremonial this weekend.

But it wasn’t astatine Indiana’s commencement ceremonial – helium went backmost to Cal.

Mendoza, who missed a White House sojourn with his Hoosiers teammates earlier this period to absorption connected his clip with his caller NFL squad, was a portion of Cal’s MBA commencement ceremonial connected Saturday aft antecedently missing their undergraduate ceremonial this past Wednesday.

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Fernando Mendoza looks to walk during the Las Vegas Raiders rookie minicamp astatine the team's office successful Henderson, Nev., connected May 2, 2026. (David Becker/Getty Images)

Once again, Mendoza didn’t privation to permission his Raiders teammates, but Jenny Chatman, dean of the Haas School of Business astatine Cal, made an objection for the antheral who completed his grade astatine Cal.

During the ceremony, Chatman paused to stock the astonishment that Mendoza would beryllium capable to locomotion the signifier for his undergraduate degree.

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"We person 1 Haas undergraduate pupil who couldn’t marque it to commencement connected Wednesday. So, I anticipation you don’t caput I invited this idiosyncratic to our MBA commencement," Chatman told the crowd. "He really had a truly bully excuse for missing commencement. He utilized his Haas skills and coursework to negociate an fantabulous occupation and an fantabulous comp package.

"But helium wasn’t capable to alteration his commencement day erstwhile helium needed to study to his caller job, truthful tin you delight assistance maine successful welcoming Las Vegas Raider, Heisman Trophy winner, Haas postgraduate and Cal Bear forever, Fernando Mendoza."

The astonishment led to a large fig of cheers for Mendoza who, arsenic always, had a agleam grin connected his look arsenic helium walked crossed the signifier and accepted his grade successful concern medication and management.

Mendoza finished that grade portion enrolled successful a master’s programme astatine Indiana successful 2025.

Las Vegas Raiders backmost Fernando Mendoza warms up during a rookie minicamp astatine Intermountain Health Performance Center successful Henderson, Nev., connected May 2, 2026. (Candice Ward/Imagn Images)

During that clip tackling 2 workloads with 2 antithetic schools, Mendoza was besides starring the Hoosiers to a historical undefeated play nether caput manager Curt Cignetti, yet starring to a nationalist title triumph successful his location Miami against his hometown Miami Hurricanes.

It was during the undefeated play that Mendoza cemented himself arsenic the apical backmost enactment successful this year’s draft, and the Raiders, a squad hopeless for a backmost of the future, confirmed each predictions that helium would spell archetypal wide this past month.

Now, his absorption is connected however helium tin interaction his caller franchise, whether he’s starting oregon not. Veteran Kirk Cousins is besides connected the quarterbacks extent illustration successful "Sin City," and caller caput manager Klint Kubiak has mentioned the perfect script wherever Cousins starts Week 1, with Mendoza processing and learning down him earlier taking implicit nether center.

It’s due to the fact that of that absorption Mendoza said helium wouldn’t beryllium joining his Hoosier teammates successful the nation’s superior for a White House ceremonial celebrating their nationalist championship.

President Donald Trump revealed that Mendoza did telephone him and they had a conversation.

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, selected arsenic the No. 1 wide prime successful the NFL draught by the Las Vegas Raiders, attends a quality league astatine the Raiders Headquarters successful Henderson, Nev., connected April 24, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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"He called maine and explained wherefore helium couldn’t beryllium here," Trump told the radical astatine the White House during the ceremony.

"If helium was not present for immoderate different reason. If helium did not similar Trump, I would not person mentioned him for immoderate different reason. I similar him, he's really a large instrumentality of what we're doing... Fernando couldn't beryllium present contiguous due to the fact that he's present a subordinate of the Las Vegas Raiders. I anticipation helium does good."

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