Fernando Mendoza wins hearts of hoosiers
The Indiana Hoosiers made program history on Jan. 19 as they won the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football National Championship. This milestone was quite unexpected for the Hoosiers as they entered the 2025 season with zero five-star recruits and only seven four-star recruits. These components surely did not define Indiana Football, as the team went undefeated on the season with a 16-0 record.
The team is coached by Curt Cignetti, whom I personally have only seen smile once–after he won the national championship. Cignetti seems to be a very straight-forward, down-to-business type of man. His response in a post-game interview after beating The University of Oregon to advance to the National Championship was, “I’m really not thinking about the next game, I’m thinking about cracking open a beer.”
graphic by lorian mcgillicudy
Iconic if I do say so myself. Cignetti's coaching philosophy has been successful in the 2025 season for obvious reasons, but the Hoosiers would not be national champions if it weren’t for someone who has taken then internet by storm. An individual who has probably made your mom, sister, and grandma a big fan of the Indiana Hoosiers…and LinkedIn. The man, the myth, the legend, Fernado Mendoza.
Prior to the month of January, I could not tell you the name of a single player on the Hoosiers football team. Now, in February, I can tell you the name of two! Fernando Mendoza and Alberto Mendoza.
Star quarterback and Heisman winner Fernado Mendoza has gone viral not only because of his incredible athletic talents, but also his charming and quite perfect charisma. Mendoza began to take over the internet after he won the Heisman Trophy, the most prestigious award in college football. After winning, he gave an incredible speech thanking everyone from his teammates, stating that the award was just as much theirs as it was his, to his high school coaches, and finally, his family. His recognition of his mother was what stood out most to me in his speech. Mendoza started crying, his mom started crying, and next thing I know…I’m searching for the tissue box!
As far as I can tell, Mendoza values family more than anything else. The support he receives seems to speak volumes about his family dynamics. Mendoza's younger brother, Alberto, plays alongside Fernado at Indiana, and is his backup quarterback. The brothers’ parents are at every game, and although his mother sits in a wheelchair due to her battle with Multiple Sclerosis, she is their biggest cheerleader.
As Fernado started to attract more attention, he looked at it as a way to “network” - often giving his LinkedIn profile a shout-out. After winning the Heisman, he updated his profile and simply added “Heisman Trophy 2025” under honors and awards. By Jan. 21, “National Champion” was added under the same section.
Fernando Mendoza is simply perfect. Goal-oriented, humble, and courageous in his faith. Prior to playing the biggest game of his career, Mendoza shared his pre-game routine: Watch mass, 30-60 minute nap, pray rosary on bus, put in contacts and finally a 10 minute meditation. Mendoza also states that the only apps he has on his phone during the season are LinkedIn (of course) and YouTube, furthermore emphasizing how focused and driven he is.
I believe if someone is not a fan of Fernado Mendoza, they might need some self-reflection. When 67,000 spectators start singing “Fernando” by ABBA after winning the National Championship, it proves just how admirable he is.
Although he will be missed in the college football realm as he enters the draft, I am confident that the Las Vegas Raiders will gain an immense amount of fans on account of a single individual who has swept the nation off its feet.