Through tears, Indiana defensive back Fernando Mendoza thanked every member of his family after becoming the first Hoosier ever win the Heisman Trophy. The Cuban-American guard credited his family for believing in him throughout his career.
He was a two-star high school recruit who didn't attract much attention before finally getting the opportunity to play in California. After three years with the Golden Bears, including a redshirt year, he transferred to Indiana. The No. 1 Hoosiers take to the Rose Bowl on Thursday to face traditional college football power Alabama in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff.
Mendoza is familiar with the pressure. He has faced challenges throughout his career, from emerging as a forgotten high school athlete to earning a starting role at UCLA.
Every time Mendoza faces an obstacle, he thinks of ways to help those around him shine.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza holds back tears as he accepts the Heisman Trophy Dec. 13 in New York.
(Todd Van Emst/Associated Press)
“I know it's my responsibility to my coaches, my teammates and the whole team to be able to be mentally sharp and not have outside influences, pressure and noise that can affect my play,” Mendoza said. “I think the main thing is just keeping the process of how I got here, how the whole team got here, so keeping the process that I keep for every single game.”
The Hoosiers finished the season undefeated. They will be vying for their first Rose Bowl victory in 57 years, and it will be the second year in a row that Indiana has made the College Football Playoff.
“His leadership has increased in those big moments, and I think that's what makes him such a special player, because when the stakes are the highest, he steps up and gets the team going,” Indiana linebacker Isaiah Jones said. “He’s a guy that people want to support and play for.”
Mendoza became the third Hispanic player to win the Heisman Trophy. His grandparents on both sides of the family were born in Cuba, and he made sure to thank them in Spanish during his acceptance speech.
In the NFL, Latino players have become a growing demographic group. Representation has grown from 12 to 47 players identifying as Latino in the 2021-25 season, up from 32 on the 53-man roster at the start of the season. Mendoza is not part of the league, but his active presence in the college football world comes with the added pressure of representing the culture and proving that Latinos can succeed in football.
“To play in that Rose Bowl atmosphere is a special moment for me, for my family, and I would say just being able to play in front of a Hispanic and Hispanic crowd is what makes me tick,” Mendoza said. “I want to inspire young Latino kids and always want to represent my culture at the highest level.”
Thursday will see Mendoza take the field for the first time as a Heisman winner, adding another level of intensity to his game. The award winner is expected to do numerous interviews with national media outlets, and Mendoza recently became a prominent voice on “60 Minutes” about Indiana.
“What you see on camera is who he is,” Jones said. “Whether it’s in the locker room or at lunch with any of my teammates, he’s one of the most genuine people on the team.”
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti hopes the Heisman Trophy expectations don't change the quarterback's style.
“It's really important now that he develops an edge in his preparation and doesn't play like, 'Oh, I'm the Heisman Trophy winner and I need to do this or that,' because we've all been following this game long enough to know we've seen some of these performances,” he said.
Cignetti understands how difficult it is for an opponent to stand in front of Mendoza. Alabama's defense tries to keep the quarterback off balance. The Tide has some great players who play hard and play fast. To win, Mendoza and his teammates need to play like they've played all season.
“At the end of the day, it's all about execution, the left tackle doing his job, the running back, the receiver and Fernando being in position,” Sinetti said.
Mendoza said he is up for the challenge. When he takes his first shot in Pasadena, he won't be thinking about personal stats or awards, he'll be thinking about the national championship.
“Now we need to get the highest team award,” he said.
