Several former Indiana players wasted little time making their presence felt in NFL preseason action Thursday night, with quarterbacks, linemen, defenders and skill players all turning in notable debuts.
The loudest opening came from Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall draft pick, who finally got his first snap in black and silver. In a 27-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Mendoza came on midway through the first half for veteran Kirk Cousins and finished 10-of-16 for 97 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. He posted a 100.3 quarterback rating.
San Fransisco 49ers quarterback Kurtis Rourke also stepped into the spotlight, earning the start against the Tennessee Titans with projected starter Brock Purdy and top backup Mac Jones both sitting out. Rourke was sharp throughout, completing 12-of-14 passes for 101 yards without a touchdown or interception. He also ran three times for 14 yards and was not sacked.
Las Vegas had more Indiana flavor beyond Mendoza. Former Hoosiers teammates E.J.
Williams Jr. and Roman Hemby were also on the field for the Raiders. Williams, an undrafted free agent, made his lone catch count, finishing with a team-high 41 receiving yards on one reception and two targets.
Hemby, another undrafted free agent signing, added seven rushing yards on three carries. Former Indiana tight end Ian Thomas chipped in with one catch for six yards on six targets in his debut with Las Vegas.
The Steelers also got meaningful contributions from a pair of former Hoosiers in their 28-9 win over the Green Bay Packers. Tight end Riley Nowakowski’s only catch went for a four-yard touchdown at the goal line, while defensive back Devan Boykin filled up the stat sheet with four tackles, including three solo stops, one tackle-for-loss and one pass breakup.
On defense, Houston Texans linebacker Aiden Fisher turned in the kind of outing Indiana fans saw plenty of during his college career. The seventh-round pick led the Texans with five tackles, four of them solo, and added a tackle-for-loss in a 27-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Tennessee Titans offensive lineman Pat Coogan also got into the action, entering midway through the game at center against Rourke and the 49ers. The sixth-round rookie is projected to serve as a backup in his first NFL season.
All told, Thursday night offered a strong first look at a group of former Hoosiers who wasted no time showing they belong on an NFL field.
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