A comment made by Heisman Trophy winner and presumed number one overall NFL Draft pick, Fernando Mendoza, on a LeBron James Instagram post about the murder of George Floyd has recently resurfaced and is now going viral across social media. Mendoza has meticulously crafted a squeaky-clean personal image throughout his impressive college career, but this old social media skeleton is undoubtedly the first real blemish on that carefully tuned public persona.
The comment, which you can now find circulating widely, was left on a post depicting former police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd. Mendoza, who was then a 16-year-old former Indiana quarterback, wrote that the photo needed “more context.” According to BroBible, he added that “you never know what he did wrong.” He specifically stated, “You need to explain the context of the first photo of the cop on the man, because you never know what he did wrong.”
George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black American man, was murdered by Derek Chauvin, a White police officer, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25, 2020. The incident began after a store clerk reported Floyd used a counterfeit $20 bill to make a purchase. While the use of counterfeit money is against the law, it’s also important to remember the penalty for such an offense is not death. In fact, the $20 bill that prompted the initial call to the police was never even conclusively confirmed as being counterfeit.
Not the kind of spotlight he wanted before the draft
During the arrest, Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed and face-down on the street. It’s a harrowing detail that has resonated with so many people. Two other officers, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, also assisted Chauvin in restraining Floyd, with Lane pointing a gun at Floyd’s head before he was handcuffed. A fourth officer, Tou Thao, prevented bystanders from intervening in the unfolding tragedy, which makes the whole situation feel even worse.
Before being placed on the ground, Floyd showed clear signs of anxiety, complaining about claustrophobia and stating that he couldn’t breathe. As he was restrained, his distress only grew, and he continued to complain of breathing difficulties, the immense pressure of the knee on his neck, and a profound fear of imminent death. After several agonizing minutes, Floyd stopped speaking altogether. For the last few minutes, he lay motionless, and Kueng, when finally urged to check, found no pulse.
Chauvin completely ignored the desperate pleas from bystanders to lift his knee from Floyd’s neck, which is a detail that many find particularly disturbing. The Minneapolis Police Department moved quickly, firing all four officers the very next day after videos recorded by witnesses and security cameras became public. It was a swift response to an undeniably horrific event. Subsequent autopsies and an autopsy review all conclusively found Floyd’s death to be a homicide, leaving no doubt about the cause.
The legal repercussions for those involved were significant. On March 12, 2021, Minneapolis agreed to pay a substantial US$27 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit brought by Floyd’s family. Then, on April 20, Chauvin himself was convicted of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. This outcome was largely driven by Steve Schleicher, a former federal prosecutor who played a major role in convicting the police officer responsible for the murder.
He was later sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison on June 25. Chauvin also pleaded guilty in December 2021 to federal charges of violating Floyd’s civil rights by using unreasonable force and ignoring his serious medical distress. The other three officers faced their own federal civil rights charges as well, and they were all later convicted.
Lane pleaded guilty in May 2022 to a state charge of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter and received a three-year prison sentence, which is being served concurrently with his federal sentence of two and a half years. Kueng also pleaded guilty on October 24, 2022, to state charges of aiding and abetting manslaughter and was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, also to be served concurrently with his federal sentence.
Thao chose to waive his right to a jury trial on the state charge, opting instead for a judge to review the evidence. He was found guilty of aiding and abetting manslaughter in a written verdict delivered on May 2, 2023, and subsequently sentenced to four and three-quarter years in prison. Floyd’s murder ignited a global movement, leading to widespread protests against police brutality, police racism, and the critical lack of police accountability.
In Mendoza’s defense, he is currently 22 years old, and this comment was made when he was just 16.
Published: Apr 9, 2026 03:15 pm