Fernando Mendoza completes Cal circle in graduation ceremony
Despite some time apart, Fernando Mendoza has wrapped up one major Cal accomplishment. The former Golden Bears quarterback, who spent three seasons in total in Berkeley and earned his undergraduate degree in the Haas School of Business, walked with this years graduation class at the Greek Theater on Saturday.
Per people familiar with the matter, Mendoza was scheduled to be apart of a different ceremony during the week but his Las Vegas Raiders schedule changed that calculus. Once Saturday rolled around, he became apart of the on stage festivities, earning a seat up up top and a special entrance to walk. Even in changing football teams, he’s always maintained a strong relationship with the Haas School of Business as they helped set up the opportunity for him to be apart of commencement.
After the 2024 season and Mendoza’s transfer to Indiana, he completed his degree during the spring 2025 semester with a combination of rare online work afforded by the school and shuttling back and forth between Bloomington and Berkeley.
Mendoza has a long standing relationship with UC Berkeley professor Steve Etter, whom not only worked with the No. 1 overall draft pick but also has a hand in a lot of student-athletes’ academic careers at the No. 1 public university in the United States.
Post graduate recruiting?
In a recently deleted twitter post, Cal Football recruiting target Dane Weber posted a picture of himself face timing Mendoza. As everyone scrambles for a deeper meaning, I’ll offer a little of my perspective.
Given the situation and vibes surrounding the celebration and the changes surrounding some of the football staff, its hard not to say that its a net positive for Cal in that recruitment.
Fernando Mendoza is living proof of Cal success irrespective of what he accomplished at Indiana. Its a degree that means something and I believe in addition to some of the football questions Weber posed, that you’d also see a lot of what can benefit you in the long run.
I believe that in the end it can only enhance what the coaches have expressed to Weber among others about what you can achieve on and off the field and look at it as a notable footnote if the Bears are able to secure his commitment.
But for now, we’ll all stew over what Fernando Mendoza’s Sunday Night Football intro will be when the Raiders get a prime time game.
