Michael Mendoza
{{Short description|American gridiron football player}}
{{other people|Mike Mendoza}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Michael Mendoza
| image =
| number = 18
| position = Quarterback
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lbs = 200
| high_school = Torrance (CA) Bishop Montgomery
| college = Northern Arizona
| undraftedyear = 1985
| pastteams =
- Oakland Raiders ({{NFL Year|1985}})*
- Ottawa Rough Riders ({{CFL Year|1986}})*
- Los Angeles Cobras ({{AFL Year|1988}})
| aflstatlabel1 = Comp. / Att.
| aflstatvalue1 = 26 / 48
| aflstatlabel2 = Passing yards
| aflstatvalue2 = 269
| aflstatvalue3 = 4–2
| aflstatlabel4 = QB Rating
| aflstatvalue4 = 74.05
| afl = Michael_Mendoza-1078
}}
Michael Mendoza is a former American football quarterback who played one season with the Los Angeles Cobras of the Arena Football League. He first enrolled at Los Angeles Harbor College before transferring to Northern Arizona University. He attended Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, California. Mendoza was also a member of the Oakland Raiders and Ottawa Rough Riders.
Early life
Mendoza played high school football at Bishop Montgomery High School and was named the offensive player of the year in the Angelus League in 1981.
College career
Mendoza played his first two seasons of college football for the Los Angeles Harbor Seahawks of Los Angeles Harbor College.{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-06-10-sp-5053-story.html |title=Mendoza Signs With Cobras |work=Los Angeles Times |date=June 10, 1988 |access-date=March 21, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160321234038/http://articles.latimes.com/1988-06-10/sports/sp-5053_1_mendoza-signs |archive-date=March 21, 2016 }} He led the Seahawks to two Southern California Athletic Conference titles and a pair of post-season bowl berths. He then transferred to Northern Arizona University in 1983 to play for the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks and was named the Big Sky Conference's Newcomer of the Year. Mendoza completed 453 of 769 passes for 4,882 yards and 29 touchdowns during his two seasons as a starter at Northern Arizona. While attending NAU he was a member of Sigma Pi fraternity.{{cite magazine|last=Langhammer|first=Jay|date=Spring 1985|volume=73|number=1 & 2|magazine=The Emerald of Sigma Pi|title=Sigma Pi Standouts in Sports|pages=28–29|url=http://www.enivation.com/SigmaPi/archive/Emerald/1985/SP_EMERALD_VOL_73_NO_1_2_SPRING_SUMMER_1985}}{{dead link|date=December 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
Professional career
Mendoza spent time with the Oakland Raiders during training camp in 1985 after passing up an offer to play for the Denver Gold of the USFL. However, he was released before appearing in any preseason games.
Mendoza was a member of the Ottawa Rough Riders for a week before being released by the team on May 20, 1986.{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19860521&id=bb8yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lO8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=6719,302885&hl=en | title=Rookie Mendoza first cut in Rough Riders' musical game of quarterbacks | work=Ottawa Citizen | date=May 21, 1986 | accessdate=March 21, 2016 | author=Campbell, Don}}
Mendoza signed with the Los Angeles Cobras on June 9, 1988. He was placed on the team's taxi squad for his first game as a member of the Cobras on June 10 against the Detroit Drive. He was promoted to the active roster on June 23, 1988.{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19880624&id=GlFPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9gIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4165,7118134&hl=en | title=Transactions | work=Toledo Blade | date=June 24, 1988 | accessdate=March 21, 2016}} Mendoza passed for 269 yards and four touchdowns in relief of starting quarterback Matt Stevens in a 37–37 tie against the Chicago Bruisers on July 14, 1988.{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1988/07/15/bruisers-tie-with-playoff-foe/ |title=Bruisers Tie With Playoff Foe |work=Chicago Tribune |date=July 15, 1988 |access-date=March 21, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322000011/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1988-07-15/sports/8801150200_1_bruisers-los-angeles-cobras-playoff-foe |archive-date=March 22, 2016 }} Michael threw a 15-yard touchdown to Joe Kelly with 11 seconds left in regulation to tie the game. The Cobras' Nick Mike-Mayer then missed a 31-yard field goal with 46 seconds remaining in overtime. Mendoza appeared in the 1989 movie Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects as the movie contains a scene that is filmed during a live game between the Cobras and Bruisers. His name is audibly mentioned by the game's public address announcer.{{cite web|url=http://www.cswap.com/1989/Kinjite:_Forbidden_Subjects/cap/en/25fps/a/00_16 |title=Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects |publisher=cswap.com |accessdate=March 21, 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322002508/http://www.cswap.com/1989/Kinjite%3A_Forbidden_Subjects/cap/en/25fps/a/00_16 |archivedate=March 22, 2016 }} Michael worked as a loan representative prior to signing with the Cobras.{{cite news | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-08-21-sp-1259-story.html | title=When Cobras Called, Mendoza Put Career on Hold | work=Los Angeles Times | date=August 21, 1988 | access-date=March 21, 2016 | author=McLeod, Paul}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.justsportsstats.com/footballstatsindex.php?player_id=mendomic001 Just Sports Stats]
{{Northern Arizona Lumberjacks quarterback navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mendoza, Michael}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:American football quarterbacks
Category:Canadian football quarterbacks
Category:Players of Canadian football from California
Category:Los Angeles Harbor Seahawks football players
Category:Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football players
Category:Oakland Raiders players
Category:Ottawa Rough Riders players
Category:Los Angeles Cobras players
Category:Players of American football from Torrance, California
Category:Los Angeles Harbor College alumni