Heisman QB Fernando Mendoza NFL Bound?! What Happens Next Will Shock You!

Fernando Mendoza, fresh off a Heisman Trophy win and a national championship victory with Indiana, is officially shifting his focus to the NFL Draft. It's a pretty incredible story, considering just a year ago, no one outside of maybe his close circle knew his name. Now, he's potentially the number one overall pick. Crazy how fast things can change.

Heisman QB Fernando Mendoza NFL Bound?! What Happe...

“It’s been a whirlwind,” Mendoza said, accepting the Davey O’Brien Award – a pretty prestigious honor recognizing the nation's best college quarterback. “I think now it’s finally settled in, and the dust has started to settle. The national championship, and then boom, next thing you know you’re on a new chapter.” It's a smart way to put it - acknowledges the hype but also ready to move forward.

The ceremony, held just four weeks after Indiana’s nail-biting 27-21 victory over the Miami Hurricanes (in Miami's own stadium, no less!), felt almost like a victory lap. With the NFL Combine looming next week and the draft set for April 23rd, the buzz around Mendoza is deafening. Could he really be the top pick? The Las Vegas Raiders, with their new coach, are certainly a team to watch. The pressure is on, but he seems to be handling it all with surprising poise.

"I'd be blessed and honored to play for the Raiders, or I'd be blessed to play for any team," Mendoza stated, playing it smart. "Any NFL team that drafts me, I'd be ecstatic... The goal of transferring to Indiana was to make the NFL. It wasn’t to be a great college player. It was to try to develop into being an NFL quarterback one day." He’s being honest about his intentions, and I think that resonates with people. No pretense here.

Looking back at the season, Mendoza's stats are frankly ridiculous: 3,535 passing yards, a Football Bowl Subdivision-leading 41 touchdowns, a 72% completion rate, and only six interceptions. Before his Indiana glory days, he put up some impressive numbers at Cal too: 4,712 passing yards and 30 touchdowns in 20 games. It's wild to think he almost went to Yale! Can you imagine Fernando Mendoza throwing touchdowns in the Ivy League? It just shows you how unpredictable life can be.

Now, at 22, Mendoza is bracing for the NFL gauntlet. He knows college success doesn't guarantee anything in the pros. Interestingly, after winning the Heisman, he initially wanted to leave the trophy in Bloomington for everyone to enjoy, but then he found out he gets his own. He has a good sense of humor, and hopefully, that will help him as he takes on this new chapter in his life.

One final note: Josh Hoover, a TCU quarterback with some serious stats (9,629 yards and 71 touchdowns!), transferred to Indiana just before the championship game. Mendoza mentioned he hasn't had a chance to connect with Hoover yet, preferring to offer advice in person. It's a classy move, showing respect for a teammate and future competitor. Only time will tell how Mendoza's NFL career unfolds, but he's certainly starting with all the right ingredients.