Fernando Mendoza: LinkedIn lunatic, endearing goofball and a symbol of the NFL’s future

The Indiana quarterback will almost certainly be the No overall pick in this week’s draft. He is also a sign of what’s to come for the leagueEver since the NCAA changed its rules in 2021 to allow student athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness, institutional money has been circling college football, desperate for a way to turn top programs into money-making machines. These incursions have had limited success to date.Perhaps the private equity and venture capital vultures have been approaching things the wrong way. Instead of building a fully financialized and business-friendly college football league, why not start with the players? When Fernando Mendoza emerges, as he almost certainly will, as the No 1 overall pick of the NFL draft on Thursday night, his coronation will not