The Indiana Hoosiers showed how much of a tight-knit group they are during Saturday’s Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York.
Indiana players made the trip to New York for the Heisman ceremony and watched teammate Fernando Mendoza win the trophy. As the quarterback arrived for his news conference, his teammates swarmed the room to congratulate him.
Fernando Mendoza teammates waiting for him in the press conference as good of a thing as I've ever seen at the @HeismanTrophy press conference. @IndianaFootball @BigTenNetwork @theaidenfisher @CoachShanahan_ @chandlerwhitmer @Coach_BHaines @CCignettiIU pic.twitter.com/F7CqGiYEB7
— Yogi Roth (@YogiRoth) December 14, 2025
Ralph D. Russo, who has covered the Heisman ceremony for two decades, said on X that he had never seen this happen before.
Mendoza was not even on the Heisman radar at the beginning of the season, but quickly played his way into the conversation. He threw for 2,980 yards with 33 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, leading the Hoosiers to a 13-0 record and a Big Ten Championship.
Even beyond his teammates, Mendoza has won many fans through his infectious personality. It’s easy to see why his fellow Indiana players rallied around him so uniquely.
