The Las Vegas Raiders haven't properly honored the heritage and tradition of the Silver and Black as the Oakland and Los Angeles versions of the team did. Yes, they've only been in Sin City for a handful of years, and the organization wasn't perfect at the other two spots. But at least they had success.
Under John Spytek, Klint Kubiak and Tom Brady, though, the Raiders feel poised to turn things around. It doesn't hurt, either, that they seem to have their first true quarterback solution in decades with No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza. All of the right pieces are in place, on paper, anyway.
Mendoza may not seem like a typical member of the Silver and Black, as the organization has a rough-and-tough reputation and had its best years with a true cast of characters on the sidelines. Mendoza is pretty straight-laced, warm and mild-mannered, at least off the field.
But this perception shouldn't weigh him down. Just ask the legendary Tim Brown.
HOF WR Tim Brown knows Fernando Mendoza isn't the "typical" Raider
Brown, whom owner Mark Davis doesn't exactly seek counsel from, has been a huge fan of the work that the Raiders have done this offseason. During a recent guest appearance on The Jim Rome Show, Brown explained what it is that he sees in Mendoza that he also saw in himself.
"I hear the same thing about [Mendoza] what they said about me: 'He's not a Raider. He's not that guy. He doesn't have that kind of mentality,' or whatever," Brown said. "But the thing about this guy, when you put him out there in between those numbers, man, he turns into a dog. I never will forget that little five-yard run he made for a touchdown [In the National Championship Game vs Miami]. That's not something 'nerds' do. That's something that dogs do. I just think that this guy is a football player."
Now, this feels fairly spot on. Brown played with some bad-boy, anti-establishment players in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s in both Los Angeles and Oakland. The Notre Dame kid, for all his football talent, didn't seem like a culture fit.
However, Brown let his play do the talking, and that earned the respect of his teammates. He learned that perception is not always reality, and that those from different backgrounds, or even those on the same team with different approaches, can all get along with the same end goal in mind.
At the end of his career, Brown was a clear Hall of Famer. He was forever enshrined in Canton in 2015 (which was far too late, but I digress) after going to nine Pro Bowls, making the NFL's All-1990s team and leading the league in receptions and yards per touch in 1997.
The current version of the Raiders doesn't really have an identity. They are trying to cultivate one under Kubiak and Spytek, and with Mendoza a central figure in this rebuild, perhaps his attitude and approach will define this new era for the Silver and Black.
And maybe his willingness to be himself will pay dividends during his NFL career, as it did for Brown. But historically speaking, Mendoza's outlook and demeanor don't really jive with the Raider image. It didn't matter for Brown, though, and I don't think it will for Mendoza.
Being a Raider is being yourself. Mendoza is nothing if not that.
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