Heisman Trophy winner, No. 1 overall pick and now an ESPY winner.
Fernando Mendoza's year of dominance rolled on Wednesday night as he claimed another trophy, Best College Athlete in Men's Sports, at ESPN's 2026 ESPY Awards in New York City.
During the 2025 season, Mendoza delivered a historic year for the Hoosiers, guiding Indiana to its first national championship and undefeated season. He also became the first Heisman Trophy winner in school history.
"Football is a team sport and although this award has one name on it, it belongs to so many people," Mendoza said in his acceptance speech. "I want to give a huge thanks to my family, my coaches, my beloved Hoosier nation and most importantly, out of all of them, my beloved teammates. Love you guys, appreciate everything you guys [have] done for me.
"I also wanna give a big congratulations to all the other nominees and all the amazing athletes being honored here tonight. God bless. Go Raiders. Thank you guys."
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