Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza had some impactful parting words as he stood up on the podium to receive his Heisman Trophy.
Mendoza on Saturday etched his name in college football history by becoming the 78th Heisman Trophy winner and the first one to come out of the Indiana program. The eloquent Cuban-American QB capped off his acceptance speech with a message to the young kids watching the ceremony from home.
“I want every kid out there who feels overlooked, underestimated to know— I was you,” Mendoza said.
“I was that kid, too. I was in your shoes. The truth is, you don’t need the most stars, hype, or rankings. You just need discipline, heart, and people who believe in you. I hope this moment shows you chasing your dreams are worth it, no matter how big or impossible they seem.”
Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza shares his final message:
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) December 14, 2025
“I want every kid out there who feels overlooked to know— I was you. I was that kid too. I was in your shoes… I hope this moment shows you chasing your dreams are worth it no matter how big or impossible they seem.” pic.twitter.com/hAf2fbQKvY
Nobody outside of the Mendoza family could have possibly predicted that Fernando would one day be up on stage to receive the 2025 Heisman Trophy. Per 247 Sports, Mendoza was the 134th-ranked QB prospect in the 2022 recruiting class. He was a humble three-star recruit when he joined Cal, and looked the part in his first two years with the Golden Bears.
Mendoza turned into a different beast after transferring to Indiana. He had more touchdowns in his lone year with the Hoosiers (33) than he did in his two seasons at Cal combined (30). He was the heart and soul of the team that swept through the regular season and beat Ohio State for the Big Ten Championship.
Mendoza, who could very well be the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, may have a future as a motivational speaker once he hangs up his cleats. The Hoosiers star similarly went viral last week for his incredible postgame quote after beating the Buckeyes.
