Michael Mendoza facts for kids
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Torrance (CA) Bishop Montgomery | ||||||||
| College: | Northern Arizona | ||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1985 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career Arena statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at ArenaFan.com | |||||||||
Michael Mendoza is a former American football player. He was a quarterback, which is the player who throws the ball. He played for the Los Angeles Cobras in the Arena Football League for one season. Before that, he played college football at Los Angeles Harbor College and Northern Arizona University. He also spent time with the Oakland Raiders and Ottawa Rough Riders.
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Early Life and High School Football
Michael Mendoza grew up in Torrance, California. He played high school football at Bishop Montgomery High School. In 1981, he was named the best offensive player in the Angelus League. This showed he was a very talented player from a young age.
College Football Career
Mendoza started his college football journey at Los Angeles Harbor College. He played for the Los Angeles Harbor Seahawks for two seasons. During his time there, he helped the Seahawks win two Southern California Athletic Conference titles. They also played in two post-season bowl games.
In 1983, he moved to Northern Arizona University. He joined the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks team. In his first year, he was named the Big Sky Conference's Newcomer of the Year. This award goes to a new player who makes a big impact. As a starting quarterback for two seasons, Mendoza completed 453 passes out of 769 attempts. He threw for a total of 4,882 yards and scored 29 touchdowns. While at Northern Arizona, he was also a member of the Sigma Pi fraternity.
Professional Football Career
After college, Mendoza had a chance to play professional football.
Time with the Oakland Raiders
In 1985, Michael Mendoza spent time with the Oakland Raiders. He joined their training camp. He had also received an offer to play for the Denver Gold in another league called the USFL, but he chose the Raiders. However, he was released from the team before playing in any official games.
Brief Stint with the Ottawa Rough Riders
In 1986, Mendoza was briefly a member of the Ottawa Rough Riders. This team played in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was with the team for about a week before being released on May 20, 1986.
Playing for the Los Angeles Cobras
On June 9, 1988, Mendoza signed with the Los Angeles Cobras. This team was part of the Arena Football League. For his first game on June 10, he was placed on the team's taxi squad. This means he was a backup player who could be called upon if needed.
He was moved to the active roster on June 23, 1988. On July 14, 1988, Mendoza got a big chance to play. He came into a game against the Chicago Bruisers when the starting quarterback, Matt Stevens, needed relief. Mendoza played well, throwing for 269 yards and four touchdowns. The game ended in a 37–37 tie. In that game, Michael threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Joe Kelly with only 11 seconds left to tie the score.
Interestingly, Michael Mendoza also appeared in a movie! The 1989 film Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects has a scene filmed during a live game between the Cobras and Bruisers. You can even hear his name mentioned by the game's announcer. Before joining the Cobras, Michael worked as a loan representative.
