Recently, there’s been a lot of news stories about Latinos in football, but none as exciting and awe-inspiring as the run Fernando Mendoza has had heading into the 2026 NFL draft on Thursday, April 23 to Saturday April 25. Mendoza is among many Hispanic Americans in this upcoming draft class.
Can you name another Latino star athlete to watch for in the 2026 NFL draft?
Jake Santiago: Plenty of Latinos will headline this year’s draft class with Fernando Mendoza leading the way as the favorite to be the number 1 overall pick! Mendoza recently won the national championship and the Heisman trophy.
Daisy Gomez: Mendoza se graduó de la Universidad de California en Berkeley y continuó su elegibilidad en Indiana tras solo un año. He did amazing! The historic season saw Indiana defeat massive teams like Ohio State, Oregon, and Miami, but people had questions going into the National Championship about whether or not he was “NFL ready.” The way that Miami tested him during the National Championship was rough and gritty, but he proved himself out there.
Santiago: Winning the national championship game fue un gran logro, porque este fue el primer campeonato nacional de los Hoosiers en la historia. Fans know the Hoosiers for basketball, not football, and so many people bet against them, pensando que el equipo había alcanzado su máximo nivel demasiado pronto. The game against Penn State, some thought was too close, ending with an incredible two-minute drill touchdown throw from Mendoza. Following this game, the Hoosiers became unstoppable to finish the season.
Now for the Raiders, they have the first pick of the draft, but the question is, will they take Mendoza? I feel like you have to take Mendoza, given the hype around his previous season. He’s been underestimated in certain stats, but he’s continued to prove everyone wrong.
Gomez: Mendoza was questioned on his ability to scramble or escape a blitz. But when tested, he ran the ball into the end zone for the game-changing touchdown in a play on fourth down against the Miami Hurricanes that will forever go down in college football history.
Pero lo que más llama la atención es su precisión. His short pass accuracy in the red zone is very on point, and in an area where players in his position struggle, el tiene mucha más confianza. The defenses he played against this year also showed another skill he has picked up very fast, que es su capacidad para tomar decisiones con rapidez. Vamos a ver cómo su juego se adapta a la NFL, but I’m sure he’s ready for that!
Emilio Milo: Fernando Mendoza is a Cuban American who is proud of his heritage. ¿Qué significa su posible elección como número uno para el futuro de los latinos en el fútbol americano, and who do you think will be the next Latino taken in the 2026 NFL draft after Mendoza?
Gomez: Well, Mendoza is the first Cuban-American to win the Heisman Trophy which is such a monumental achievement in itself.
Santiago: Yeah! Now it’s time for a segment on our show called “el nombre de las posiciones”, where we’ll see if you can guess in English what position in American football I am saying in Spanish.
Gomez: Several weeks ago, the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA and Bad Bunny performed the halftime show. He did this as a tribute to la isla de Puerto Rico y todos los piases de Norteamérica, Centroamérica, Sudamérica y el Caribe. There were a lot of opinions about him being selected to perform, but indeed Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, was named the most-streamed artist on Spotify this year and last year.
Ocasio ha sido un gran defensor de la comunidad latina, ayudando con diferentes problemas, sobre todo en su isla de Puerto Rico, especialmente con la ayuda humanitaria después de los daños del huracán María. I was very excited, I had my Benito super bowl shirt, my flag ready, and I made coquito for my friends and I, which is a coconut-based drink from Puerto Rico- which some compare to egg nog.
Santiago: Bad Bunny broke the news early on in the season creating a lot of buzz from fans wondering why he chose to perform at the Super Bowl after saying he would not perform in the United States.
Let’s be real, the game is about selling commercials and the most streamed artist in the world will bring in viewers, and reaching the Latino community, which he did with having the most viewed half time performance across platforms. Era una idea brillante por parte de la NFL. El mayor espectáculo del año necesita al artista más importante. Bad Bunny showcased Latino and Puerto Rican culture throughout his performance, balancing both entertainment and music. Ocasio opened up with jibaro’s cutting down sugar cane crops, bailando on top of la casita, and even showcasing Puerto Rico’s power issues by dancing on powerlines.
Gomez: He added plenty of easter eggs in the performance, including businesses like Villa’s Tacos from Los Angeles and a social club in New York, and even boxers fighting each other. Todas las referencias celebran la cultura. The stage was never too big for Bad Bunny, and he has continued to solidify a future for Latinos at the Super Bowl halftime show and in the sport of football.
Bad Bunny is not the only Latino “playing” the Super Bowl. Several others, like those on the teams, are Latinos. What is the significance of this Super Bowl in particular for our culture?
Santiago: Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, and Panama are all being represented. (Julian Love, Jaylinn Hawkins, Christian Gonzalez, Frederico Maranges, Elijah Arroyo, Andy Borregales)
Gomez: And aside from the players, we got to see all of the Latino flags during the halftime show, which was extremely significant for representation because something like that hasn’t been done before. I loved the unity our communities got to experience.
Latinos have left their mark on football with various legends and current talent displaying pride in both their culture and the way they play the game. The outlook is looking bright with both the halftime show and future talent getting ready to take on the NFL, Latinos in football are here to stay.
Santiago: Quick recap: With Mendoza leading the way for top young talent in the NFL Draft there’s no telling how good Latinos can be in the NFL. Mendoza and young stars like K.C. Concepcion and Jacob Rodriguez are creating a new standard for how Latinos play football.
Gomez: El fútbol americano está creciendo en importancia en la cultura latina. Es otro motivo más por el que los latinos son tan importantes en el deporte.
Santiago: Before we go, on the next episode we’re talking about — The Olympics and Latinos who competed in the 2026 Winter Olympics Games. So make sure you tune in next time!
Gomez: This is ¡Somos Deportes! Celebrating nuestra cultura,
Santiago:and the sports we play!
Produced by Jake Santiago, Daisy Gómez, and Emilio Milo.
¡Somos Deportes! Latinos in Football (S1E1)
Recently, there’s been a lot of news stories about Latinos in football, but none as exciting and awe-inspiring as the run Fernando Mendoza has had heading into the 2026 NFL draft on Thursday, April 23 to Saturday April 25. Mendoza is among many Hispanic Americans in this upcoming draft class.
Can you name another Latino star athlete to watch for in the 2026 NFL draft?
Jake Santiago: Plenty of Latinos will headline this year’s draft class with Fernando Mendoza leading the way as the favorite to be the number 1 overall pick! Mendoza recently won the national championship and the Heisman trophy.
Daisy Gomez: Mendoza se graduó de la Universidad de California en Berkeley y continuó su elegibilidad en Indiana tras solo un año. He did amazing! The historic season saw Indiana defeat massive teams like Ohio State, Oregon, and Miami, but people had questions going into the National Championship about whether or not he was “NFL ready.” The way that Miami tested him during the National Championship was rough and gritty, but he proved himself out there.
Santiago: Winning the national championship game fue un gran logro, porque este fue el primer campeonato nacional de los Hoosiers en la historia. Fans know the Hoosiers for basketball, not football, and so many people bet against them, pensando que el equipo había alcanzado su máximo nivel demasiado pronto. The game against Penn State, some thought was too close, ending with an incredible two-minute drill touchdown throw from Mendoza. Following this game, the Hoosiers became unstoppable to finish the season.
Now for the Raiders, they have the first pick of the draft, but the question is, will they take Mendoza? I feel like you have to take Mendoza, given the hype around his previous season. He’s been underestimated in certain stats, but he’s continued to prove everyone wrong.
Gomez: Mendoza was questioned on his ability to scramble or escape a blitz. But when tested, he ran the ball into the end zone for the game-changing touchdown in a play on fourth down against the Miami Hurricanes that will forever go down in college football history.
Pero lo que más llama la atención es su precisión. His short pass accuracy in the red zone is very on point, and in an area where players in his position struggle, el tiene mucha más confianza. The defenses he played against this year also showed another skill he has picked up very fast, que es su capacidad para tomar decisiones con rapidez. Vamos a ver cómo su juego se adapta a la NFL, but I’m sure he’s ready for that!
Emilio Milo: Fernando Mendoza is a Cuban American who is proud of his heritage. ¿Qué significa su posible elección como número uno para el futuro de los latinos en el fútbol americano, and who do you think will be the next Latino taken in the 2026 NFL draft after Mendoza?
Gomez: Well, Mendoza is the first Cuban-American to win the Heisman Trophy which is such a monumental achievement in itself.
Santiago: Yeah! Now it’s time for a segment on our show called “el nombre de las posiciones”, where we’ll see if you can guess in English what position in American football I am saying in Spanish.
Gomez: Several weeks ago, the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA and Bad Bunny performed the halftime show. He did this as a tribute to la isla de Puerto Rico y todos los piases de Norteamérica, Centroamérica, Sudamérica y el Caribe. There were a lot of opinions about him being selected to perform, but indeed Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, was named the most-streamed artist on Spotify this year and last year.
Ocasio ha sido un gran defensor de la comunidad latina, ayudando con diferentes problemas, sobre todo en su isla de Puerto Rico, especialmente con la ayuda humanitaria después de los daños del huracán María. I was very excited, I had my Benito super bowl shirt, my flag ready, and I made coquito for my friends and I, which is a coconut-based drink from Puerto Rico- which some compare to egg nog.
Santiago: Bad Bunny broke the news early on in the season creating a lot of buzz from fans wondering why he chose to perform at the Super Bowl after saying he would not perform in the United States.
Let’s be real, the game is about selling commercials and the most streamed artist in the world will bring in viewers, and reaching the Latino community, which he did with having the most viewed half time performance across platforms. Era una idea brillante por parte de la NFL. El mayor espectáculo del año necesita al artista más importante. Bad Bunny showcased Latino and Puerto Rican culture throughout his performance, balancing both entertainment and music. Ocasio opened up with jibaro’s cutting down sugar cane crops, bailando on top of la casita, and even showcasing Puerto Rico’s power issues by dancing on powerlines.
Gomez: He added plenty of easter eggs in the performance, including businesses like Villa’s Tacos from Los Angeles and a social club in New York, and even boxers fighting each other. Todas las referencias celebran la cultura. The stage was never too big for Bad Bunny, and he has continued to solidify a future for Latinos at the Super Bowl halftime show and in the sport of football.
Bad Bunny is not the only Latino “playing” the Super Bowl. Several others, like those on the teams, are Latinos. What is the significance of this Super Bowl in particular for our culture?
Santiago: Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, and Panama are all being represented. (Julian Love, Jaylinn Hawkins, Christian Gonzalez, Frederico Maranges, Elijah Arroyo, Andy Borregales)
Gomez: And aside from the players, we got to see all of the Latino flags during the halftime show, which was extremely significant for representation because something like that hasn’t been done before. I loved the unity our communities got to experience.
Latinos have left their mark on football with various legends and current talent displaying pride in both their culture and the way they play the game. The outlook is looking bright with both the halftime show and future talent getting ready to take on the NFL, Latinos in football are here to stay.
Santiago: Quick recap: With Mendoza leading the way for top young talent in the NFL Draft there’s no telling how good Latinos can be in the NFL. Mendoza and young stars like K.C. Concepcion and Jacob Rodriguez are creating a new standard for how Latinos play football.
Gomez: El fútbol americano está creciendo en importancia en la cultura latina. Es otro motivo más por el que los latinos son tan importantes en el deporte.
Santiago: Before we go, on the next episode we’re talking about — The Olympics and Latinos who competed in the 2026 Winter Olympics Games. So make sure you tune in next time!
Gomez: This is ¡Somos Deportes! Celebrating nuestra cultura,
Santiago: and the sports we play!
Produced by Jake Santiago, Daisy Gómez, and Emilio Milo.
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