In the strangest twist of NFL Draft season yet, Fernando Mendoza says one NFL team asked him a question that left even him stunned.
The former Indiana Hoosiers quarterback revealed that during the pre-draft process, a team asked whether he would consider getting arrested to intentionally slide down draft boards and be available later in April’s NFL Draft. Yes, that was the question.
Mendoza declined to identify the team but clarified it was not among the organizations he felt most seriously connected to during interviews. The bizarre moment shows just how unpredictable and at times absurd the NFL’s “silly season” can become in the weeks leading up to the draft.
The most bizarre question that Fernando Mendoza has been asked during his draft interviews
“It was: ‘Hey, maybe you should get arrested.’ I was a little confused, but then it was like to slide.”
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— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) February 27, 2026
Most prospects are accustomed to unusual or deeply personal questions as teams probe their background and mental makeup. But suggesting a player sabotage his own stock by getting arrested represents a new level of insane.
However, Mendoza has little reason to entertain such antics.
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After transferring from Cal to Indiana, he put together one of the most remarkable seasons in modern college football history. Mendoza threw 41 touchdown passes, won the Heisman Trophy and led the Hoosiers to a 16-0 record and their first national championship, the first undefeated 16-game campaign in major college football in 132 years.
He finished his college career with 8,247 passing yards, 71 touchdowns and 22 interceptions across three seasons.
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If Mendoza slides on draft night, it almost certainly won’t be because he followed that advice. Also, he won’t be going too far down the board.
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