Fernando Mendoza

It's like football heaven for me, and I believe for a lot of other quarterbacks.

It's fourth down in the national championship, you have 10 other players who've worked all this way through an entire season, creating as brothers, looking at you, seeing what's the play call, how much does he believe in this play call by the way he says it, and does he have any other messaging?

And so at that point, I was able to deliver the play call with complete confidence.

Our guys, not just me, but all of our guys were able to come together, give each other a little pump up, hey, saying, this is what we do.

We make big plays, big time games.

And it was a play that, depending on manner zone, the defense was a little bit discombobulated because they didn't believe we'd go for a fourth and five.

I believe every analytic expert could tell you we should have kicked the field goal there.

However, when the game came down to the wire, I needed to trust the big boys up front, the Hoggies, and they delivered us to victory with great blocking, whether it's pass or run protection.

And they had a great run game there.

I mean, a great run game protection there, and it worked and enabled me to get the first down and then go ahead for the score.

What's the plan for Thursday?

The plan for Thursday is to stay home in Miami, Florida,

I believe it's very important to have everyone who's poured into me and been a part of that village to be there and experience this new opportunity.

This is not an end.

This is a beginning.

It's a great new opportunity.

There's going to be a lot of hurdles.

I look forward to resting and confiding in my support system whenever those hurdles occur.

My mom and my dad wanted to do it in Miami because we need to hop on a plane the next day, whatever team drafts me.

It's been a lot of travel this year, and although Pittsburgh is going to be a great event, I can't wait to be a great league partner, I believe, especially with my mom.