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Who is Fernando Mendoza? The NFL Draft sensation no one could have predicted

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Mendoza Mania has arrived in the NFL.

The projected No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, Fernando Mendoza brings one of football’s most unexpected stories to the pros.

Legendary football agent Leigh Steinberg, who has represented an NFL-record eight first overall draft picks, believes what sets Mendoza apart from the other hyped prospects is his words.

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“The way he relates to people,” Steinberg said was the most unique part about Mendoza, in an interview with Fox News Digital.

“He seems to have a really nice touch in dealing with teammates. It seems to be a natural leader. He relates well in interviews. He relates well in everything. And so, the job of a franchise quarterback is to represent the franchise, and he becomes the most visible face of a franchise. And you know, he’s handsome. He speaks well, and I think he’s sort of an ideal representative or spokesman for the team.”

How did a kid from Florida who know one saw coming become a Heisman Trophy winner, national champion, and the NFL’s next big thing?

The reason Fernando Mendoza is in the U.S. and making his mark on football history is because of a bold decision by his grandparents decades ago.

After Fidel Castro seized control of Cuba and installed a communist regime, all four of Mendoza’s grandparents fled the country and came to America.

“We all thought it was temporary,” Mendoza’s maternal grandfather Alberto Espino previously told The Washington Post of the “There was no way the United States would allow a communist regime 90 miles away.”

But Castro’s reign endured, so Espino and the Mendozas remained in the U.S. and built their life as Americans. That meant American sports.

Both of his parents grew up in Miami, Florida as the children of Cuban refugees.

Mendoza’s father, Fernando Mendoza Sr., was a rower at Brown University and a 1987 Junior World Championships gold medalist.

But Mendoza’s father also played football when he was younger, and was teammates with Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal at Christopher Columbus High School during the 1980s. Mendoza would go on to defeat his father’s former teammate in this year’s CFP national championship game.

Meanwhile, his mother, Elsa Mendoza, played tennis at the University of Miami.

When Mendoza was a child, his mother was diagnosed with a serious disease

Mendoza was born in Boston in 2003 as the first of his parents’ three children, before his family moved back to Miami, Florida where he would grow up.

But when Mendoza was only about four years old, his mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. It’s a chronic, autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that can affect the brain and spinal cord. She has spent the last few years in a wheelchair.

Elsa Mendoza wrote about the experience in a 2015 letter to her sons that was published in The Player’s Tribune.

“I was diagnosed about 18 years ago, but of course you never knew that. You and Alberto were so young, and I was doing fine….. and mostly I didn’t want you to worry. It just felt like this impossible thing to place on you guys. On my sweet boys. And then I kept doing fine until about 10 years ago, when we went skiing and I broke my ankle and knee,” she wrote.

“But even after that, I wasn’t quite ready to tell you — only that my leg hadn’t healed all the way, which is why your mom had her limp. It wasn’t until five years ago, when I got Covid, that things started to go downhill in a way where there was no more hiding it. It was during football season, and I realized I wasn’t going to be able to travel. And the thought of you wondering if I supported you any less, because suddenly I wasn’t at your games? I hated that. So that’s when I knew we had to sit you and your brother down.”

She went on to recall, “how hard of a conversation it ended up being. ‘Your mom has this degenerative disease … and while we don’t know how it will progress, it’s going to start to affect us in a few ways. But it won’t affect us in the ways that matter. We’ll have each other, and love each other, and be there for each other. I promise.'”

As a young boy, Mendoza would gather mangoes from his grandparents’ yard and sell them door-to-door to his neighbors.

Not only did he embrace capitalism as a young man, but he also embraced Catholicism.

He later followed in his father’s footsteps of playing football at Christopher Columbus High School — an elite, $18,000-a-year all-boys private Catholic school with a football program.

As the team’s starting quarterback his senior year, he led his team to an 11-3 record and the 2021 FHSAA Class 8A state semifinals.

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But it wasn’t enough to earn the affection of many college scouts.

As a two-star recruit, Mendoza was ranked the 2,149th-ranked recruit in the country in his high school class. He didn’t receive a single FBS scholarship offer.

With limited offers out of college, Mendoza nearly accepted an Ivy League education and non-scholarship football spot at Yale. But instead, he went across the country to try his luck at California, Berkeley.

He wasn’t handed the starting job on day one; instead, he redshirted, studied the game, and quietly earned his business degree from the prestigious Haas School of Business in just three years.

As a quarterback, he earned the starting job in 2023 and 2024, becoming Cal’s all-time leader in completion percentage (66.4%) and tying for 7th in 250-yard passing games.

But his college football career hadn’t even really begun.

In 2025, Mendoza made the decision to transfer to Indiana. What followed is considered one of the most unlikely runs in college football history.

He threw for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and only 6 interceptions, completing over 72% of his passes, while also adding seven rushing touchdowns, and won the Heisman Trophy.

“It’s very often not until the end of their [college] career that they show exactly those qualities. So a lot of maturation happened,” Steinberg said of Mendoza’s senior-year surge. “There have been a number of players who were late bloomers… you’re getting them at the height of their arc, and they put it all together. It takes time to read defenses and see the field.”

Then when the playoffs started, he cemented his name in college football history. He threw eight touchdowns with only five incompletions in the initial playoff games against Alabama in the Rose Bowl and Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl.

In the national championship game, played in his home town of Miami against his hometown university Miami Hurricanes, he was named the CFP National Championship Offensive Player of the Game, delivering a crucial 12-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run to seal the title.

Indiana became the first time in modern college football history to go a perfect 16-0 behind Mendoza’s leadership, making a case for one of the greatest CFB quarterback seasons ever.

With the Las Vegas Raiders set to pick first in the NFL Draft this year, Mendoza appears destined for Sin City.

Steinberg believes the fit will work out well football wise and business wise.

“He’s a perfect pick for the Raiders because he’s someone they can build a franchise around. He seems to have the proper leadership skills and motivational ability to lead a team. He’s high character, he’s got physical size. He’s got great arm strength. He’s indicated a number of times that he can bring the team back in critical circumstances,” Steinberg said.

“As a marketing proposition, Las Vegas is the hottest sports town as there is in America… It’s a good environment to be in with supportive fans and companies for sponsorships and endorsements.”

Mendoza has already filed 12 trademark applications. These filings include his name, “Fernando Mendoza,” “Mendoza,” “Flippin’,” and “HE15MENDOZA,” aimed at covering athletic apparel and merchandising.

“By picking 12 different areas, that pretty much covered the field. And that means that nobody can go ahead and put together distinctive Mendoza [merchandise] without dealing with him,” Steinberg said.

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NFL Draft’s heaviest player reveals surprising diet trick that helped him shed weight

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There were two polarizing picks in the opening round of the NFL Draft, and both came from Alabama. The Rams selecting QB Ty Simpson at No. 13 has been well documented — and scrutinized.

But the other ‘Bama pick, offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor, is the one who we’re gonna dial in on today.

Proctor, who the Dolphins picked at No. 12, is, easily, the biggest specimen in this year’s draft. He’s a massive human being, standing at 6-foot-7 (please don’t make the dumb joke), and weighing a measly 352 pounds.

Now, I say “measly” because that’s actually lean for Proctor, who struggled to keep his weight in check under Nick Saban at Alabama. And by that, I mean he used to clock in at well over 400 pounds, which won’t translate well in the NFL.

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That’s why Proctor was such a polarizing pick by Miami. If he can keep the weight in check, he’s arguably the best lineman in the draft. But work ethic concerns, which Saban brought up earlier this week, have followed the kid for years.

He does have a couple things working for him, though. No. 1, the South Florida heat should help him stay in shape. I’ve lived here my whole life. You can’t walk to your car without looking like you just ran a half-marathon.

Proctor’s biggest asset, though? His diet, which is surprisingly simple for anyone looking to shed a few pounds before the summer:

“Not eating after 7 p.m. is probably the biggest thing, because you’re not giving your body enough time to digest,” he said Friday. “I found out when I don’t eat after 7 p.m., I come in, I have a good weigh-in and it just felt good.”

Amen, brother! As a former fat guy myself whose parents once got a note from the doctor saying I was measuring at an alarming percentile, I can relate. This is the key. Stop eating so late at night. Have an early dinner, and shut it down when the sun goes down.

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No late-night snacks. No ice cream. No sneaking to the pantry between “King of Queens” commercials and grabbing a handful of granola. Don’t even look at the fridge after 7 p.m., unless you’re getting ice for your whiskey. That’s it. That’s the simplest way to start losing weight.

Oh yeah, and no donuts!

First off, “Krispy” is an elite nickname. Now, it’s not great if you’re an athlete, but whatever. Solid nickname. Not sure Proctor wants it to stick in the NFL, but I’ve certainly heard worse.

Sure, you need to eat better. Duh. You should mix in a salad every once in a while, and maybe go on a run a few times a week.

But, if you’re looking for somewhere to start, this is it. Stop stuffing your face at night, and you’ll be amazed at the results. That includes beer, by the way. I know, that one is tough, but those calories count just the same.

Anyway, good for Proctor. As a Dolphins fan, I love this kid. Listen to that honesty. You don’t get that nowadays. He hates walking on the treadmill. Who doesn’t? It’s the worst. So, he’s figured out a loophole, and it’s working for him.

Adapt or die, folks. It’s the name of the game.

Can’t wait to see this demon pancaking people on Sundays.

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New York bills could abolish life without parole for serial killers and cop killers, critics warn

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State lawmakers in New York are considering a series of “four bad bills” that critics are warning could lead to the release of mass murderers, serial killers and other violent convicts.

Among the examples Suffolk County officials and the families of victims raised at a news briefing Friday are serial killer Joel Rifkin, who murdered between nine and 17 women; commuter shooter Colin Ferguson, who killed six and wounded 19 on the Long Island Rail Road; and the White supremacist gunman Payton Gendron, who livestreamed the massacre of 10 people at a Tops supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo.

Thousands of other violent criminals could also be released. The bills aim to establish an elder parole program in the Empire State, among other changes that would result in the early release of killers.

We’re talking about the worst of the worst,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney told Fox News Digital. “The people who have done really the worst acts possible and have proven to be really a danger to our society. And they’re like an infinitesimal, small percentage of our population who create an inordinately large amount of all of the problems, all the violence, all of the theft and everything else.

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Joining Suffolk County officials at a news briefing Friday was Theresa Bliss, whose 25-year-old son David was murdered in 2021 outside a pizzeria in Port Jefferson after an argument with strangers.

“I have a question for every New York lawmaker pushing the Earned Time Act, Fair and Timely Parole Act, Elder Parole and Second Look Act, does our pain mean anything to you?” she asked. “How do you fight so aggressively for the early release of murderers, yet dismiss the families whose lives were shattered?”

The victims don’t get second chances, she added.

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The man who shot her son received a sentence for 40 years to life in prison. Under the proposed reforms, parole could come much sooner.

“When you pass laws that prioritize criminals over victims, you’re not reforming the system — you’re erasing us,” she said.

The briefing came days after Tierney secured a guilty plea from another Long Island serial killer, Rex Heuermann, who is expected to be sentenced in June after admitting to torturing and killing eight women.

Tierney has been a frequent critic of the state’s recent bail reform laws, which allowed a group of people suspected of dismembering a body and littering the remains around Long Island’s south shore to go free before police had enough evidence to also charge them with killing the victim.

And earlier this month, he sidestepped the state’s sanctuary laws in order to make sure Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took custody of a Guatemalan man accused of raping a child.

“While these bills are often framed as reforms and have innocuous titles, in reality, they will push thousands of New York’s most violent criminals out onto our streets,” Tierney warned.

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Some key issues Tierney and Suffolk County Executive Edward Romaine, both Republicans, slammed at a news briefing Friday:

One bill would cut all sentences less than life in prison by half and prevents prison assaults and stabbings from being deducted from credits for good behavior. Since the proposed reduction applies retroactively, it would “result in the immediate release of thousands of New York’s most dangerous inmates.”

“These people are where they are because they richly deserve it,” Tierney told Fox News Digital. “Every second of whatever sentence they receive, they’ve earned.”

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Another bill would block the state’s parole board from considering the nature of the original crime when weighing parole — “no matter how horrible.” This specifically benefits murderers and rapists, the officials said, and implies that parole is automatic, not something earned.

“It turns parole upside down — it prohibits consideration of the seriousness of the crime and even the defendant’s remorse or lack of it,” Tierney said.

In the Bliss case, the killer was seen on home security video shortly after the shooting laughing about it. At future parole board hearings, the people deciding his fate would be unable to consider that behavior if the bill passes.

A third would impose a California-style elder parole in New York, and take the concept one step further, the officials warned. The Empire State’s version would abolish life without parole, “even for serial killers, cop killers and racist murderers.” It applies to inmates who have served at least 15 years of a sentence, including a life sentence, and are older than 55.

“Once [Gendron] turns 55, every two years those families are going to have to go through the parole process again,” Tierney said. “Why?”

The fourth bill gives felons a chance to petition a judge for a sentence reduction. The judge cannot be the same one who imposed their sentence to begin with. There is no limit on the number or frequency of petitions, and if one is denied, the inmate can immediately file another with a different judge.

“These bills are an insult to every law-abiding citizen, the law enforcement community and especially the victims of these crimes,” said Romaine, the top elected official in Suffolk County, a suburb of New York City. “Use common sense and do not pass these bills.”

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office for comment.

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‘Michael’ Review: A hollow informercial packaged as a biopic of the King of Pop

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The King of Pop is back from the dead to play the greatest hits. And that’s about it.

“Michael” is the first of a two-part biopic of the late music icon Michael Jackson. And it’s truly a family affair. Not only was it produced by the Michael Jackson estate, all of his siblings are listed as executive producers (minus Janet Jackson — due to pre-existing drama with the estate — she doesn’t even appear in the film!) and his own nephew Jaafar (son of Jermaine Jackson) was cast to play the “Man in the Mirror” himself.

The problem with keeping it in the family is that at the end of the day, they didn’t really make a movie. They made an infomercial.

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The origin story begins in 1966 in the Jackson living room in Gary, Indiana. Young Michael (played by an infectious Juliano Valdi) and his four brothers faced barking orders from their demanding father Joe Jackson (Colman Domingo), who they all call “Joseph.” In their formative years, Joe drills in them, “In this life, you’re either a winner or a loser.”

What follows is a hyper-sanitized timeline of Michael Jackson’s career trajectory, with virtually every one of his hit songs either performed onscreen or played in the soundtrack, from “ABC” and “I’ll Be There” from the Jackson 5 days, to “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” “Beat It” and “Billie Jean.” We get everything on the cultural checklist from multiple references to “Peter Pan” and Neverland, his CGI pet chimp Bubbles, the making of the “Thriller” music video, to his hair being caught on fire while shooting the Pepsi commercial. And sprinkled throughout is his domineering father (set up as the film’s villain) trying to dictate his career being tied to the rest of the family. But overall, he simply glides through life with hardly any conflict, at least according to “Michael.” 

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Jaafar Jackson makes his big screen debut playing his uncle — quite big shoes to fill. He nails the speaking voice and all the dance moves, but the film’s lack of emotional depth leaves Jaafar with a solid impersonation of the pop superstar rather than a true acting performance.

What sticks in my craw with these music biopics is that they so often rely on the original recordings of the deceased artists and have the actors essentially lip-sync the songs. Think 2018’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The parallels shouldn’t come as a shock since both films were produced by Graham King. It personally takes me out of the film knowing they’re essentially lifting the entire soundtrack and slapping it on another person — though supposedly several songs blended Michael Jackson’s voice with Jaafar’s, but most viewers won’t be able to tell. I sure couldn’t.

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Another trap “Michael” falls into like “Bohemian Rhapsody” is that it completely avoids controversy — at least in part one, which leaves off on the 1988 “Bad” tour — nor does it even attempt to delve into his psyche beyond the surface level stuff we all know, like his weird childlike behavior. But based on reports on the behind-the-scenes drama that occurred, including rewriting the ending to remove the 1993 sexual abuse allegations, it seems doubtful part two will touch the sensitive subjects. “Michael” is more sugar-coated than a Sour Patch Kid. It’s as if ChatGPT spat out a screenplay after skimming the Wikipedia page.

The biggest disparity is the amount of A-level talent involved in such a non-cinematic film. You have veteran director Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day,” “Olympus Has Fallen,” “The Equalizer” films), Oscar-nominated screenwriter John Logan (“Gladiator,” “The Aviator,” “Skyfall”) a star-studded cast, including Domingo, Miles Teller (as Jackson’s longtime manager John Branca), Nia Long (as his mother Katherine Jackson) and Mike Myers (as CBS Records CEO Walter Yetnikoff), as well as an outstanding makeup department, yet the film can’t go more than two or three minutes without hawking another Michael Jackson hit hoping audiences will rush home to listen to his music. This money-making scheme by the Jackson estate is truly genius.

Music biopics should take a page out of the “Rocketman” playbook, the under-appreciated 2019 Elton John jukebox musical. Unlike “Michael,” it was actually artistic and poor Taron Egerton poured his heart out (he did his own singing by the way!) and got completely snubbed by the Academy while lip-syncing Rami Malek won Best Actor and “Bohemian Rhapsody” earned a Best Picture nod. I don’t forget these grave injustices.

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“Michael” is less of a movie and more of an elaborate plot by the Jackson estate to replenish its coffers by reaping the benefits of a legendary music catalog. Superfans of the King of Pop will get their sugar rush, but don’t kid yourself into thinking this is anything more than what it actually is.

“Michael” is rated PG-13 for some thematic material, language, and smoking. Running time: 2 hours, 7 minutes. In theaters now.

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