President Donald Trump name-checked an absentee Fernando Mendoza during an event celebrating the Indiana Hoosiers football team, which won the national title this year.

Mendoza led Indiana to an undefeated 16-0 season and won the Heisman Trophy. Not surprisingly, he was drafted first overall in this year’s draft by the Las Vegas Raiders.

On Monday, Trump hosted the Hoosiers at the White House, where he praised the team and head coach Curt Cignetti.

“Very special coach, I’ll tell you that,” the president said. “Just got to know him a little bit backstage, and he’s a winner. Every player on this team shared their coach’s winning mindset and executed with unbelievable skill. They are skilled people.”

Trump then turned his attention to Mendoza, who skipped the event.

“This season was also historic because the starting quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, now, the reason he’s not here, he was so nice,” Trump said. “I’m not happy, but that’s ok. The reason he didn’t is because it’s spring training, right?”

The president went on to say, “If he was not here for other reasons like, like he didn’t like Trump or he didn’t want to come, I wouldn’t even mention him. I’d go through the whole– I’d talk about how great– I wouldn’t even mention the quarterback’s name. But he’s a great guy, actually. And he is actually a big fan of what we’re doing for our country.”

Earlier this month, Mendoza was asked by a reporter if he would be attending the event.

“I believe May 11 is the first day of [organized team activities],” Mendoza said. “If it is on the first day of OTAs, like I said, I’m at the bottom of the totem pole here. I gotta prove myself. I can’t miss practice… As a rookie, I don’t think that’s a good look.”

Mendoza was one of eight Hoosiers drafted by NFL teams last month, and none of them made it to the White House.

Watch above via C-SPAN.

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