Raiders' Fernando Mendoza reveals a valid reason to skip White House trip

The Las Vegas Raiders just drafted the ultimate gym rat. Fernando Mendoza wants to work and learn the new offense; everything else is secondary.

That's why it's going to take a whole lot to get him out of Sin City for the next couple of months.

In fact, not even a trip to the White House might be enough for him to pack his bags.

In a recent news conference, the No. 1 pick explained that he'd rather stay home and practice. 

Fernando Mendoza chooses practice over White House trip

"I gotta prove myself. I can't miss practice," Mendoza told the media (h/t Vegas Sports Today). "As a rookie, I don't think that's a good look. I'm trying to best serve my teammates, and I don't know if that'd be accomplishing that goal."

The Raiders will have the first day of OTAs on May 18. The Indiana Hoosiers' visit to the White House to celebrate the first national championship in program history is scheduled for May 11.

One may or may not agree with him, and given that visiting the White House or not has become a bit of a political statement, some may not like this stance.

Nevertheless, that's all you can ask of your star rookie. Mendoza knows he's the new face of the franchise and that he's got a lot of catching up to do to get used to a pro-style offense. 

At the end of the day, Mendoza knows that all his accolades from college will be meaningless on Sundays. He has to earn his stripes in the pros just like everybody else, and working tirelessly is the only way to do that.