Fernando Mendoza first entered the Heisman Trophy race when Indiana football thrashed then-No. 9 Illinois on Sept. 20. The redshirt junior quarterback thought it would be “cool” someday to tell his future kids he was once in the Heisman conversation.
Now, Mendoza can tell them he won college football’s most prestigious award, as he was announced as the winner of the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night. He’s the 39th quarterback to win the award and the first player from the Big Ten since Ohio State’s Troy Smith in 2006.
Mendoza beat the other three finalists — Vanderbilt University quarterback Diego Pavia, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin and the University of Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love — as he earned 643 first-place votes. He became the first Hoosier to take home the Heisman after former running back Anthony Thompson finished second in 1989.
Indiana notched its first 12-0 regular season and a victory over Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game Dec. 6 during Mendoza’s first season as the Hoosiers’ signal caller.
Mendoza completed 71.5% of his passes for 2,980 yards and a nation-high 33 touchdowns to just six interceptions. He also rushed for 240 yards and six scores.
The Heisman Trophy is just the latest award Mendoza has taken home this week, as he was named the Walter Camp Player of the Year, The Associated Press Player of the Year, the Davey O’Brien Award winner and the Maxwell Award winner.
Mendoza earned first-team All-Big Ten honors last week while being named the Greise-Brees Quarterback of the Year and the Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year.
Now, Mendoza has etched his name in the history books. He’ll look to continue taking the program to new heights as the No. 1 Hoosiers begin their College Football Playoff run in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 in Pasadena, California.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and columnist Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa and qmrichar@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
