news-engine

2026 NFL Draft No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza played his second preseason game on Thursday night for the Las Vegas Raiders against the Houston Texans. It also made for ESPN’s first broadcast of this football season. Despite a performance that featured throwing a pick-six, Mendoza remained in good spirits and delivered yet another memorable television interview. ESPN play-by-play announcer Joe Buck was caught off guard by reporter Laura Rutledge being ready for an interview with Mendoza in the fourth quarter that he thought was coming later on the broadcast. “Oh, no, we’re going to do it now,” Buck said. “Hi, Laura! Hi, Fernando!” “Joe Buck says, ‘Hi,'” Rutledge informed Mendoza. As the interview wound down a couple of minutes later, Mendoza told Rutledge, “Please tell Mr. Buck I say, ‘Hello.'” “What about Mr. Aikman?” Rutledge asked Mendoza about ESPN color commentator Troy Aikman. “Oh, of course,” Mendoza said. “I mean, he’s a legend. I think Mr. Buck needs some love, because Mr. Aikman is already, you know.” Fernando Mendoza: “Please tell Mr. Buck I say hello.” Laura Rutledge: “What about Mr. Aikman?” Mendoza: “Oh, of course. He’s a legend. I think Mr. Buck needs some love…” Joe Buck: “You see, there it is. Back to Mr. Buck. That’s the stuff. He is unique.” pic.twitter.com/8BWw9vEQKV — Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 21, 2026 Buck and Aikman laughed through much of the exchange. “You see, there it is. Back to Mr. Buck,” Buck said. “That’s the stuff. He is unique. And yeah, I’ll take that. We’ll take the love from Fernando Mendoza. And he says all the right things.” “What a refreshing personality he is,” Aikman said. “And a guy that, I’m sure that I can speak for most of America, anyway, that’s easy to root for.” And Buck has already rooted for Mendoza plenty. Buck is an Indiana alum, and the Heisman-winning Mendoza led the Hoosiers to the college football national championship in January.