'So Special': Why Indiana Football QB Fernando Mendoza Embraces Heisman Spotlight

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — In the back yard of his family’s home in Miami, the game rested in Fernando Mendoza’s hands, the weight of the moment placed firmly on his shoulders.

Fernando and his brother, Alberto, simulated high-pressure situations. One brother represented the University of Florida while the other played on behalf of the University of Miami in a makeshift national championship game. Other days, one was the New England Patriots and the other the Miami Dolphins.

Bragging rights at the dinner table was the only thing truly at stake. But those experiences — those pressure-packed settings of a good ole fashioned rivalry with a flare of brotherly love — built Fernando into a player, and person, who thrives when the stage gets bigger, who rises when others succumb to the moment.

Now, the lights have never been brighter. Mendoza, the starting quarterback for No. 2 Indiana, is the odds-on Heisman favorite while leading the Hoosiers to their first 11-0 start in program history.

It’s a reality Mendoza once only dreamed — as an under-recruited, overlooked prospect from Christopher Columbus High School — and, self-admittedly, wouldn’t have even bet on happening.

“I always (heard) a lot of people, whether I was in elementary school, high school, saying, ‘Just work hard, anything's possible.’ At that age, you always think, ‘Cool, yeah, yeah, yeah,’” Mendoza said Wednesday on Zoom. “Did I ever think it was possible if I were to bet money on it? No.

“But it's so great what God's plan is and what you can do with a strong work ethic and a great support cast around you.”

The latter is particularly relevant to why Mendoza hasn’t yet been swept under the current by the wave of attention. He admitted the process hasn’t been smooth, and it’s presented a few challenges — most notably in regard to time management.

After the Hoosiers’ 63-10 win over Illinois on Sept. 20, Mendoza said media requests flowed into the program. Indiana’s communications department opted not to frontload Mendoza’s media schedule, instead saving his availability for the Hoosiers’ bye week after their 31-7 victory against Wisconsin on Nov. 15.

Subsequently, Mendoza maintained his normal routine each week. Though he said he enjoys highlighting Indiana’s success in public settings, he appreciated there were no wrenches thrown into his weekly schedule, no multi-hour blocks he had to change to handle media opportunities.

But the light surrounding Mendoza never grew dimmer. It’s impossible to ignore — and he’s tried to embrace the ride.

“With the spotlight, and with the pressure of it, comes a privilege,” Mendoza said. “We are so blessed to be 11-0 at this point, and right now we're just focused on being 1-0. There are some challenges, but it's honestly such a great opportunity to give the praise to other people around in this program that they deserve.”

During the week leading into Indiana’s 56-6 win over UCLA on Oct. 25, Mendoza met with FOX Big Noon Kickoff panelist Matt Leinart, the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner and a three-time top-six finisher in Heisman voting.

Mendoza has received advice from several different sources, but Leinart’s message stuck: This only happens once.

“A lot of people only go through this once, and they end up heading to the NFL or just things happen,” Mendoza said. “Just enjoy it. Take the present moment in. This is so special that, although you can kick the can down the road, what an honor it is and how grateful, just giving all the glory to God and how great it is that I'm in this situation and that you're in this situation.”

Though he’s only in his first season with Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, Mendoza has been a quick study in terms of adopting Cignetti’s philosophy. Mendoza often preaches staying present and focusing on his next task, be it a game, practice, workout or media obligation.

As for the noise around him? He hears it. But he doesn’t wish it away.

“Whenever I hear about it, I'm thankful about it,” Mendoza said. “I don't have anxiety looking forward to it like, 'Oh, what's going to happen here and there, what if, what if, what if?' Wow, that's so cool. I never thought I'd be in this moment at this point.

“I've just got to be grateful for it and keep on chugging because all that matters is this bye week and Purdue.”

When Mendoza decided to leave the University of California, Berkeley, last winter, he wanted to be developed and take the next step. Many teams tried to sell promises of “fantastic outlooks on the season” and the quality of their program.

Cignetti didn’t.

“Coach Cignetti, on the other hand, sold me on being the best Fernando Mendoza that I could become,” Mendoza said. “If I have a crystal ball and I can see my future at every single school, (at) IU, I become the best quarterback. I don't know if we would be the best team, but I would be the best quarterback.

“At this point, that's all I can control. I can control being the best Fernando Mendoza, quarterback and character, that I can become. That's what really sold me.”

Team success has followed. Indiana has one-upped its 2024 campaign, one in which it started 10-0, cracked the top five in the College Football Playoff poll and finished 11-2 with a first-round playoff loss to Notre Dame.

Individual accolades may soon come, too. But Mendoza isn’t worried about that aspect. He still remembers crying on his bed with his mom, wondering why he hadn’t received any offers. He wasn’t a five-star recruit or high school prodigy.

Some shy away from the spotlight. Mendoza, long left in the shadows to no fault of his own, welcomes the platform — and he’s ready to keep building, with or without the Heisman Trophy in hand.

“I wouldn't say this is the pinnacle of my career by any chance,” Mendoza said. “I think I still have a long way to go. I still think I'm a raw quarterback prospect. I'm just so grateful to be in the position that I am right now. I just can't thank the support staff I have around myself enough and can't thank the Lord enough.”