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heisman trophy winner Fernando Mendoza Reviewing Exciting post-match interview goes viral After he won the Big 10 Championship game.
“It’s just real raw emotion,” Mendoza, 22, admits people In an interview published on Friday, December 12, “Maybe a little too much.”
After the Indiana Hoosiers defeated Ohio State in the Big 10 championship game on Dec. 6, Mendoza captured the internet’s heart with an emotional moment on live television.
The quarterback nearly burst into tears when asked how he felt about the win, saying, “It sounds so beautiful! I want to give all the glory to God. We were never supposed to be in this position, but by the great glory of God, great coaches, great teammates and everyone around us, we were able to make it happen!”
He then quipped: “Who would have thought indian Will it be here? But now the Indians are the champions! let’s go! “
Looking back on that moment of victory, Mendoza said: people It was a completely genuine expression of his excitement.
“I’m really happy for my team and at the same time I don’t want to say any clichés like ‘anything is possible’,” he explained. “So I just want to keep a low profile, stay true to myself, and present my true self to the world.”
Mendoza feels his sincerity may surprise viewers because it’s “different from a lot of cookie-cutter interviews.”
“I think it caught people off guard, but you know, I’m glad people got to know the real me,” he added.
Still, Mendoza may have only heard indirectly about the incredible reaction to his viral interview. Indians quarterback reveals herald sun In October 2025, he deleted almost all social media apps from his phone.
Heisman Trophy candidates Jeremiah Love, Fernando Mendoza, Diego Pavia and Julian Saine.
Adam Hungry/Getty Images“I deleted all social media. The only social media on my phone right now is LinkedIn and YouTube for watching videos,” he said.
Fernando confirmed that his younger brother Alberto, who also plays for the Hoosiers, and “a few tag staff” manage his Instagram.
“Other than that, I’m not on any social media,” he reiterated. “I want to keep everything in the building. … There’s a lot of things that I don’t want to get carried away by the noise from the outside and go, ‘Oh, that’s great,’ and then forget about those issues that I need to continue to develop. And vice versa. I just want to keep it in the building.”
He added, “We have great coaches. I just try to focus on listening to their suggestions and feedback.”
The athlete addressed his viral fame hours before his biggest night football career,so far. Saturday, he won the heisman trophy over notre Dame running back Jeremiah Lovevanderbilt quarterback Diego Paviaand Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayn. (Mendoza is the Indians’ first-ever Heisman Trophy winner.)
If you’re a Vanderbilt fan, or if you’ve been to a Vanderbilt football game this season, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with quarterback Diego Pavia’s mom. Antoinette Padilla has been in the stands supporting her son all season, and the TV cameras found her in a funny way. as(…)
It was a memorable week for Mendoza as he was named AP Player of the Year Thursday, Dec. 11, to lead the Indians to their first Big Ten title since 1967.
“I’m shining right now, but that’s only because there are so many stars around me,” he told the outlet. “There’s an analogy, the only reason we’re able to see stars in the sky is because light reflects off all the different types of stars. I have a lot of stars around me – whether it’s my teammates, my coaches, my family, the support staff – I’m able to shine in that light right now and I’m happy for everyone to be a part of it.”
Meanwhile, the Indians are looking ahead to the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2026, where they will face the winner of the Alabama-Oklahoma game on Dec. 19.
