Gutierrez: Raiders’ past meets future as Tom Flores passes No. 15 torch to Fernando Mendoza

Among them: quarterbacks Mike Rae (1976-77), Jeff Hostetler (1993-96), Matt Flynn (2013), Gardner Minshew (2024) and Kenny Pickett (2025). Plus, receivers Johnnie Lee Higgins (2007-10), Michael Crabtree (2015-17) and Nelson Agholor (2020).

Another historical nugget?

When Mendoza takes the field for a regular season game, he will become the 11th Heisman Trophy winner to play for the Raiders.

A bit of trivia that none of the Raiders’ three Heisman winners to welcome Mendoza to Las Vegas on Friday – quarterback Jim Plunkett, running back Marcus Allen and receiver Tim Brown – could fully complete.

The answer: Plunkett, Allen, Brown, fullback/tight end Billy Cannon, running back Bo Jackson, defensive back Charles Woodson, receiver Desmond Howard and quarterbacks Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Marcus Mariota.

But it was Mendoza’s shared cultural connection as a Latino to not only Flores but Plunkett that had him thinking deeper. Even as Mendoza is Cuban American and Flores and Plunkett are Mexican Americans.

As Plunkett said, it’s been 55 years since a Latino was taken first in the NFL Draft (Plunkett was that pick, by the Patriots, in 1971) and he hoped it wouldn’t take another 55 years.

“It’s important to the Hispanic community,” Plunkett told me. “I’m very proud of Fernando and, you know, Tom Flores was my coach for a while. So I’d like to see more and more Hispanics. In the past, Hispanics, we didn’t grow very tall, so it was tough for a Hispanic quarterback to make it in the NFL.

“But now we’re getting bigger and stronger and getting into the sport more. A long time ago, a lot of my friends growing up were playing soccer, not football. But things have changed, obviously. Look at Fernando.”

And when Raider Nation gets a look at Mendoza, he’ll be wearing a familiar, if not sacred, number.

“It’s a privilege to have him wear my number,” Flores said. “I’d like to see him practice.”