On Saturday night, Fernando Mendoza from Miami's Christopher Columbus High School became the first Hoosier ever to win the Heisman Trophy, capping a 13-0 season and a Big Ten title for No. 1 Indiana. For Miami fans, the obvious question is simple: how did a Columbus kid with Miami roots turn into a Heisman winner somewhere else, and why wasn't he in orange and green?
Congratulations to the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner, @IndianaFootball quarterback Fernando Mendoza!#Heisman | #MoreThanATrophy pic.twitter.com/DMqXA16ode
— The Heisman Trophy (@HeismanTrophy) December 14, 2025
Mendoza in high school
Mendoza was born in Boston but raised in Miami and grew up a Hurricanes fan.