Tom Brady piles the pressure on his future NFL quarterback by watching him closely at
Tom Brady was pictured keeping a close eye on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza at the College Football Playoff final on Monday night.
The seven-time Super Bowl winner was seen on the sideline at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami before kickoff between Mendoza’s Hoosiers and the home favorite Hurricanes.
Brady and the Las Vegas Raiders’ billionaire owner Mark Davis were keen to get a glimpse of the man who is likely to be the face of their franchise come April.
Heisman Trophy winner Mendoza is the overwhelming favorite to be taken by the Raiders with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
The Raiders face an offseason of rebuilding after they finished as the worst team in the NFL with a 3-14 record and fired head coach Pete Carroll.
Mendoza will form the cornerstone of those plans after taking Indiana to the brink of a national title with a remarkable season.
Tom Brady was pictured keeping a close eye on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza
Brady is weighing up whether his Raiders should take Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick
Mendoza is the favorite to be taken by the Raiders with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft
He has become a favorite among college football fans over the course of the season thanks to his imperious performances and sensational TV interviews.
After their Peach Bowl victory over the Oregon Ducks, the Heisman Trophy winner delivered another brilliant post-game interview, having gone viral earlier in the campaign for his hilarious speeches.
‘First of all, I want to give all glory to God. The man up above did so much for us today and it’s helped myself and our entire team play at such a high level’, he told ESPN.
Looking ahead to Monday’s title game, Mendoza, who went to high school in Miami, said: ‘It’s a homecoming for myself, going to Miami. The Hurricanes are a fantastic team, they have a great leadership and they’re extremely tough on defense – it’s going to be a great match up’.
They have interviewed seven candidates for their coaching vacancy in the two weeks since firing Carroll, including former head coaches Vance Joseph and Matt Nagy.
Their most recent interviews were Wednesday with defensive coordinators Jesse Minter of the Los Angeles Chargers and Ejiro Evero of Carolina.