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Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza is looking back on going viral with an emotional postgame interview after his Big 10 Championship game victory.
“It was just genuine raw emotion,” Mendoza, 22, admitted to People in an interview published on Friday, December 12. “Maybe it was a little too much.”
Following his Indiana Hoosiers’ victory over Ohio State in the Big 10 championship game on December 6, Mendoza stole the hearts of the internet when he was overcome with emotion on live TV.
Asked how the victory felt, the QB nearly broke down in tears as he said: “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, the great coaches, the great teammates, and everyone we have around us, we were able to pull this off!”
He then quipped: “Who ever thought the Hoosiers would be here? But, now the Hoosiers are flippin’ champs! Let’s go!”
Looking back on that triumphant moment, Mendoza told People it was a completely genuine expression of his excitement.
“I was really, really happy for my team, and at the same time I didn’t wanna say anything cliche, you know, like ‘everything is possible,’” he explained. “So I just wanted to keep it down and keep it authentic and just give the world my real self.”
Mendoza felt like his sincerity may have taken viewers by surprise since it was “different than a lot of cookie-cutter interviews.”
“I think it caught people off-guard, but you know, I’m excited for people to learn the real me,” he added.
Still, Mendoza probably only heard about the incredible reaction to his viral interview second-hand. The Hoosiers quarterback revealed to The Herald Sun in October 2025 that he’d removed nearly all of the social media apps from his phone.
Heisman Trophy candidates Jeremiyah Love, Fernando Mendoza, Diego Pavia and Julian Sayin. Adam Hunger/Getty Images
“I deleted all social media. The only social media right now that’s on my phone is LinkedIn and YouTube, to watch videos,” he said.
Fernando confirmed that his younger brother Alberto — who also plays for the Hoosiers — and “some marking people” handle his Instagram.
“Other than that, I am not on any social media,” he reiterated. “I want to keep everything inside the building. … There’s a lot of things where I don’t want to go to the outside noise and get the, ‘Oh, that’s so great,’ and kind of forget about those issues I need to build on. And vice versa. I’m just really trying to keep it in the building.”
He added, “We have such great coaches. I’m just trying to keep my focus on listening to their advice and their feedback.”
The athlete spoke about his viral fame mere hours before the biggest night of his football career, thus far. On Saturday, he won the Heisman Trophy over Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin. (Mendoza is the first-ever Heisman winner for the Hoosiers.)
If you’re a Vanderbilt football fan — or if you’ve watched a single 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 have a funny way of finding her. As the […]
It has been a week to remember for Mendoza, as he was named the Associated Press Player of the Year on Thursday, December 11, for leading the Hoosiers to their first Big Ten championship since 1967.
“I’m shining now but only because there are so many stars around me,” he told the outlet. “There’s an analogy that the only reason we’re able to see stars in the sky is because the light reflects from all different types of stars. I have so many stars around myself — whether it’s my teammates, my coaches, my family, support staff — that I’m able to shine now in this light, and I’m so happy for everyone to be a part of this.”
Meanwhile, the Hoosiers are looking ahead to the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2026, where they will face off with the winners of the Alabama vs. Oklahoma game, which takes place on December 19.
