Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman Moment Was Bigger Than Football - It Was a Message to the Underdogs
On Saturday night, Fernando Mendoza didn’t just win the Heisman Trophy-he delivered a moment that will stick with college football fans for a long time. Sure, the numbers were there.
The wins were there. But what really stood out was what Mendoza said after hoisting the most iconic trophy in college sports.
With emotion in his voice and conviction in his words, Mendoza closed his speech with a message aimed straight at the kids who’ve been told they’re not enough-too small, too raw, too overlooked. “Keep chasing your dreams,” he said. “Because who knows-you could be up here one day too.”
Turns out, that message wasn’t just off-the-cuff inspiration. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Mendoza revealed that he drew from a speech that meant a lot to him as a high schooler: DeVonta Smith’s Heisman acceptance speech in 2020.
Fernando Mendoza reflects on giving his Heisman acceptance speech.
— Ian Plaskoff (@ian_plaskoff) December 15, 2025
Says his main message was inspired by DeVonta Smith's Heisman acceptance speech in 2020. #iufb pic.twitter.com/rGwg65BMWz
“I think the highlight of the speech, and something that resonated with me, was when DeVonta Smith gave his Heisman speech,” Mendoza said. “He essentially said something similar to what I said at the end. And I took it from him.”
That connection runs deeper than just a borrowed line. Back when Mendoza was a two-star recruit committed to Yale, Smith’s words hit home.
Smith had said, “To all the young kids out there that’s not the biggest, not the strongest: just keep pushing.” Mendoza listened.
Each year, I try to catch up with DeVonta Smith about his Heisman Trophy vote.
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) December 14, 2025
Here's what he said about this year's vote...
"Jeremiyah Love. I think this year for the Heisman…it's not kind of up to the recent Heismans. …But I’m picking Love. It's not just a quarterback…
And he believed it.
“Basically saying that if you're too small, too raw, too anything, don't let anybody knock you down and you can do it,” Mendoza recalled. “At that point, I was a two-star recruit. So I took that, and I thought it was my duty to push that message to the next generation.”
That’s the thing about moments like this-they echo. Smith passed the torch.
Mendoza caught it. And now he’s handing it off to whoever’s next in line.
Because there will be another kid out there, overlooked by the recruiting services, passed over by the big programs, who hears this message and decides to keep going.
Mendoza’s story isn’t just about perseverance-it’s about production. After transferring from Cal to Indiana, he led the Hoosiers to a perfect 13-0 season, throwing for 2,980 yards and 33 touchdowns.
That kind of output doesn’t just win games-it wins hardware. And with 643 first-place votes, Mendoza didn’t just win the Heisman; he ran away with it.
He’s the first Heisman winner in Indiana Hoosiers history. And he’s not done yet.
Indiana, under head coach Curt Cignetti, enters the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 seed and will open their postseason run in the Rose Bowl on January 1. It’s a remarkable turnaround for a program that’s never been in this kind of spotlight. And Mendoza is right at the center of it.
As for Smith, he didn’t end up casting his Heisman vote for Mendoza this year. According to The Athletic’s Zach Berman, Smith went with Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.
“It’s not just a quarterback award,” Smith said. “Those other guys, they’re good quarterbacks, but I think the things that [Love] is doing deserve the award.”
No hard feelings there. If anything, it just adds another layer to the story.
Because this isn’t about who voted for who. It’s about how these players inspire each other-how one speech can ripple across years and spark something in the next generation.
Fernando Mendoza didn’t just win a trophy this weekend. He paid it forward. And somewhere out there, a young quarterback-maybe a two-star, maybe not even ranked-is listening.
And believing.