Fernando Mendoza football cards: worth the hype?
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Fernando Mendoza is on top of the college football world. The Heisman Trophy winner leads his No. 1 Hoosiers in the CFP semifinals on Friday and seeks a shot at a perfect season and a national title. But is the burgeoning market for Mendoza worth the investment? Here's a quick look at some harsh truths (and some of the cards that might be worth seeking out).
RELATED: Bowman U Now Debuts Fernando Mendoza Heisman Winner football card
Hard Truth 1: The Heisman is not a guarantee of success
Yes, Mendoza comfortably won the Heisman Trophy. But one of the few clear indicators of the card market is that the Heisman Trophy doesn't mean much in terms of card value. Take it from someone who remembers Chris Weinke flailing at AA curve balls with the baseball Knoxville Smokies before he won the Heisman at Florida State. X-fractor and autographed Weinke rookies can easily be had for about the price of a Big Mac.
Weinke isn't alone. Eric Crouch? Jason White? Troy Smith? Johnny Manziel? Even Kyler Murray and Bryce Young? They might be better suited looked for as missing on a mild carton than in a card display. The Heisman does no favors.
Hard Truth No. 2: No. 1 NFL pick status also does not guarantee success
Mendoza's allure apparently extends to the NFL Draft, where most mock drafts have him projected with the top pick. Yet again, that's nice, but it doesn't necessarily mean much. For every Peyton Manning, there's a Ryan Leaf. For every Joe Burrow, there's a JaMarcus Russell.
Many of the No.1 overall NFL picks are serviceable players, but it's worth noting that most of the top QBs of all time (Brady, Montana, Favre) didn't even go in the first round of the NFL Draft, much less with the top pick. If you shoveled in draft pick cards expecting Steve Emtman or Ki-Jana Carter to fund your retirement home, you might cash in enough to buy a build-your-gingerbread-house kit.
(Not So) Hard Fact No. 3: Mendoza Defines His Era (so why not?)
The best argument in favor of Mendoza is simply this-- in year two of a 12-team College Football Playoff and a wacky transfer portal/NIL college football landscape, Mendoza is college football in 2025 (and the early days of 2026). Even if he's not the next NFL superstar, people will remember his name and his game.
What's the floor for Mendoza? Being a Doug Flutie or a Charlie Ward or a Tim Tebow: basically, a college legend. While honors are great, nothing supplants a legend. Jim Harbaugh rushed for more yards in the NFL than Bo Jackson, but nobody who saw Bo is sad about owning his cards, career arc notwithstanding.
Even if Mendoza's future doesn't pan out, the season he's had justifies at least some casual shopping for his cards. He is Mr. College Football, and that figures to mean something.
Joe is a journalist and writer who covers college and professional sports. He has written or co-written over a dozen sports books, including several regional best sellers. His last book, A Fine Team Man, is about Jackie Robinson and the lives he changed. Joe has been a guest on MLB Network, the Paul Finebaum show and numerous other television and radio shows. He has been inside MLB dugouts, covered bowl games and conference tournaments with Saturday Down South and still loves telling the stories of sports past and present.