NEW YORK — Indiana football quarterback Fernando Mendoza shared a light-hearted moment at the start of the weekend, joking that he once believed his best chance at winning the Heisman Trophy was in a video game. The former two-star recruit had considered walking away from the sport due to the lack of interest from Power Four teams. However, with the encouragement of his mother, Elsa, Mendoza persevered and ultimately became the top player in the sport by winning the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night.
Mendoza made history as Indiana football’s first Heisman Trophy winner, defeating fellow finalists Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love for the prestigious award.
“All those (struggles) were blessings,” Mendoza said this weekend. “They lit a fire underneath myself in order to make myself work harder and get to the point where I am today.”
Mendoza entered the weekend as a strong favorite for the award after leading IU to a top seed in the College Football Playoff and securing the Big Ten championship. His performance throughout the season included several Heisman-worthy moments, including game-winning drives against formidable opponents like Oregon and Penn State. His final Heisman pitch came in the Big Ten title game against Ohio State.
Despite nearly being knocked out of the game on the first play, Mendoza delivered a series of clutch throws down the stretch to lead IU to its first league title since 1967. This achievement completed a sweep of major national awards for Mendoza, as he had already won the Walter Camp Award, Maxwell Award, and Davey O’Brien Award in the days leading up to the Heisman ceremony. He was also named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Quarterback of the Year.
Mendoza was only the second finalist in program history — former IU running back Anthony Thompson was runner-up in 1989 — and the sixth top-10 finisher. Thompson was also the only other player in program history to win the Walter Camp and Maxwell Awards, while Mendoza is the first to win the Davey O’Brien.
Mendoza was joined in New York by a large group of teammates and coaches. Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, athletic director Scott Dolson, offensive coordinator Mike Shahanan, and quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer all attended the ceremony. During an interview with Holly Rowe, Cignetti compared Mendoza to Jerry West, one of his idols growing up in West Virginia.
“I can’t think of a bigger compliment to pay a competitor,” Cignetti said.
Pat Coogan, Carter Smith, Riley Nowakowski, Aiden Fisher, and Charlie Becker were among the players who traveled to the city on their own to support Mendoza. They hosted a private watch party at a local steakhouse.
“He’s everything the Heisman is about. He encapsulates what the trophy means and stands for, and the history of the trophy,” Coogan said Saturday morning.
Mendoza’s brother, Alberto, who is IU’s backup quarterback, was also in New York and joined Fernando at the ceremony alongside their parents.
Throughout the weekend, Mendoza pledged to follow Cignetti’s “24-hour celebration” rule and return to work on preparing for the CFP after traveling back to Bloomington on Sunday night.
“We are all honored to play in the Rose Bowl,” Mendoza said. “That’s a dream, especially my first three years I played at Cal, everyone always talked about the Rose Bowl what a great honor and such a magical place to play.”