Where would IU football's Fernando Mendoza keep the Heisman Trophy?
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NEW YORK — Indiana football quarterback Fernando Mendoza landed in New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist on Friday afternoon with work left to do on an acceptance speech for if he wins the award
While Mendoza is a heavy favorite, he still spoke in theoretical terms about hearing his name called at the award ceremony on Saturday night. The one question he was willing to answer about potentially winning the 45-pound bronze statue is what he would do with the trophy itself.
“I would want to keep the trophy in Bloomington because it belongs there,” Mendoza said. “That’s what I think as far as everything Hoosier nation has done for me if I have the honor and blessing of winning it.”
Mendoza thinks the trophy would be a point of pride for his “teammates the Hoosier community and the alumni,” especially since he would be the first player from the program to win the award.
Former IU running back Anthony Thompson was a runner-up in 1989 behind Houston quarterback Andre Ware in one of the closest voting margins (70 points) in history. Mendoza, a football junkie, was well aware of IU’s history (or lack thereof) in relation to the prestigious award.
Mendoza is only the seventh player in IU history to even finish in the top-10.
“I think it would mean so much for the fan base that has stuck through the thick and thin to now the Cignetti era,” Mendoza said.
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: ‘It belongs there.” IU football’s Fernando Mendoza wants Heisman in Bloomington
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