Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza is wanting again on going viral with an emotional postgame interview after his Large 10 Championship sport victory.
“It was simply real uncooked emotion,” Mendoza, 22, admitted to Folks in an interview printed on Friday, December 12. “Possibly it was a bit an excessive amount of.”
Following his Indiana Hoosiers’ victory over Ohio State within the Large 10 championship sport on December 6, Mendoza stole the hearts of the web when he was overcome with emotion on dwell TV.
Requested how the victory felt, the QB practically broke down in tears as he stated: “It sounds so lovely! I need to give all of the glory to God. We have been by no means presupposed to be on this place however by the nice glory of God, the nice coaches, the nice teammates, and everybody we’ve round us, we have been capable of pull this off!”
He then quipped: “Who ever thought the Hoosiers could be right here? However, now the Hoosiers are flippin’ champs! Let’s go!”
Wanting again on that triumphant second, Mendoza advised Folks it was a totally real expression of his pleasure.
“I used to be actually, actually pleased for my crew, and on the identical time I didn’t wanna say something cliche, you understand, like ‘every little thing is feasible,’” he defined. “So I simply needed to maintain it down and maintain it genuine and simply give the world my actual self.”
Mendoza felt like his sincerity could have taken viewers without warning because it was “totally different than loads of cookie-cutter interviews.”
“I feel it caught individuals off-guard, however you understand, I’m excited for individuals to study the actual me,” he added.
Nonetheless, Mendoza most likely solely heard in regards to the unbelievable response to his viral interview second-hand. The Hoosiers quarterback revealed to The Herald Solar in October 2025 that he’d eliminated practically the entire social media apps from his cellphone.
Heisman Trophy candidates Jeremiyah Love, Fernando Mendoza, Diego Pavia and Julian Sayin. Adam Starvation/Getty Pictures
“I deleted all social media. The one social media proper now that’s on my cellphone is LinkedIn and YouTube, to look at movies,” he stated.
Fernando confirmed that his youthful brother Alberto — who additionally performs for the Hoosiers — and “some marking individuals” deal with his Instagram.
“Apart from that, I’m not on any social media,” he reiterated. “I need to maintain every little thing contained in the constructing. … There’s loads of issues the place I don’t need to go to the surface noise and get the, ‘Oh, that’s so nice,’ and form of overlook about these points I must construct on. And vice versa. I’m simply actually making an attempt to maintain it within the constructing.”
He added, “We now have such nice coaches. I’m simply making an attempt to maintain my give attention to listening to their recommendation and their suggestions.”
The athlete spoke about his viral fame mere hours earlier than the largest evening of his soccer profession, up to now. On Saturday, he received the Heisman Trophy over Notre Dame operating again Jeremiyah Love, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin. (Mendoza is the first-ever Heisman winner for the Hoosiers.)
When you’re a Vanderbilt soccer fan — or should you’ve watched a single Vanderbilt soccer sport this season — there’s probability you’re conversant in quarterback Diego Pavia’s mother. Antoinette Padilla has been within the stands supporting her son all season, and the TV cameras have a humorous manner of discovering her. Because the […]
It has been every week to recollect for Mendoza, as he was named the Related Press Participant of the 12 months on Thursday, December 11, for main the Hoosiers to their first Large Ten championship since 1967.
“I’m shining now however solely as a result of there are such a lot of stars round me,” he advised the outlet. “There’s an analogy that the one purpose we’re capable of see stars within the sky is as a result of the sunshine displays from all several types of stars. I’ve so many stars round myself — whether or not it’s my teammates, my coaches, my household, help employees — that I’m capable of shine now on this gentle, and I’m so pleased for everybody to be part of this.”
In the meantime, the Hoosiers are looking forward to the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2026, the place they are going to face off with the winners of the Alabama vs. Oklahoma sport, which takes place on December 19.
