Fernando Mendoza had something to prove in his hometown, and he wasn’t about to let the moment slip away. The Heisman winner had a tough night early on. Miami’s pass rush spent three quarters making his life miserable.

Despite earning All-Dade County honors as a junior, Mendoza had a hard time getting power-conference programs to give him a legitimate look.

Fernando’s parents Elsa and Fernando Mendoza Sr. have witnessed his rapid rise to become a college football star and potentially the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. Another part of the Mendoza family are Fernando’s brothers, Alberto and Max. Like Fernando, Alberto is an Indiana quarterback but serves in a reserve role for the Hoosiers.

Indiana beat Miami 27–21 to win the College Football Playoff national championship on Monday and cap one of the greatest seasons in college football history. The Hoosiers became the first 16-0 team in the modern era, and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza turned in a signature play that will go down in history as well.

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza led his team to a 10-0 halftime lead in the CFP national championship. The quarterback entered the game with program records for single-season passing touchdowns and total touchdowns.

Indiana Hoosiers quarterback and national champion Fernando Mendoza showed off his throwing skills and his comedic chops on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in a short appearance Thursday night.

In an essay she penned for the Players Tribune in December, titled "Dear Fernando," Fernando Mendoza's mother Elsa Mendoza shared that she became pregnant with him at age 25, after moving from Miami to Boston following graduate school.