Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza has been seen as one of the NFL’s most wholesome and endearing players since being drafted number one overall this year.
But San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle believes there is more to the story.
Or he at least sees Mendoza’s virtuous streak as a reason why fans root against him, which he explained during a hilarious conversation with WWE superstar Seth Rollins during an episode of “The Kittle Things.”
“I said [Fernando] Mendoza on the way in,” Claire Kittle, the 49ers tight end’s wife, said when asked which NFL quarterback was the biggest “babyface” — wrestling terminology for a heroic character fans are meant to cheer.
“Oh, no. No. That kid is a heel. Yeah. Number one overall pick,” Rollins said.
A “heel” is the villain wrestling fans are supposed to root against.
“Mendoza is a heel. Number one draft pick, he has won a national championship, going to the Raiders. He has this super-kind persona, and then he’s gonna kill you,” George Kittle added.
“He pretends to be all goody two-shoes, but under the table, he’s got the gun. Yeah. I think he’s a heel,” Rollins responded.
It does not hurt their case that he plays for the Raiders, a franchise that has made villainy a key part of its appeal.
In short, Kittle and Rollins argued that Mendoza’s endearing qualities are exactly what make him a heel: He has almost too much going for him.
