Indiana football's Fernando Mendoza dealing with 'bad turf burn'
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BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football quarterback Fernando Mendoza got a souvenir from Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Hoosiers quarterback told reporters he suffered a “pretty bad turf burn” in a 13-10 win over Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. The game’s MVP had a press conference Tuesday night to discuss being named a Heisman Trophy finalist and wore a long black sleeve on his right arm to cover up fresh bandages.
Mendoza found a way to turn the discomfort he felt in recent days into a positive by doing a little research into past Heisman winners.
“I had trouble falling asleep, so I watched, like, I would say around probably 10 Heisman speeches, and they’re just all so great to hear, whether it’s a Q and A or whether it’s a speech itself,” Mendoza said. “I have a pretty good recall about all the Heisman Trophy winners in my age, but it’s always great to hear about great Heisman Trophy winners from the past, some of their great speeches.”
The good news for Mendoza is he will get plenty of time to heal up with IU getting a bye into the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff. Indiana coach Curt Cignetti is treating the next two weeks like an in-season off week and having players focusing on rest and recovery.
Indiana’s light schedule will allow Mendoza to soak in his Heisman moment without feeling like he’s taking away focus from the team.
“I want to make the most of the weekend,” Mendoza said. “I want to make the most of the opportunity, whether it’s meeting people there, whether it’s a potential speech or whether it’s just enjoying the opportunity with my friends and family.”
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: IU football’s Fernando Mendoza has ‘bad turf burn.’ What we know
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