Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza has won the Heisman Trophy, adding to his historic season.
Why it matters: Mendoza is only the third Latino player to win the coveted honor given to college football's best player, but is the first Cuban American to take it.
The big picture: Mendoza beat out Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin.
Zoom in: Mendoza was named Associated Press player of the year on Thursday after leading unbeaten and top-ranked Indiana to its first Big Ten championship since 1967 and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.
- Mendoza has thrown for a Bowl Subdivision-leading 33 touchdowns and run for six, giving him a school-record 39 TDs.
- The Miami-born Mendoza is the grandson of Cuban immigrants and has cited his Cuban ancestry as crucial for his love of football.
Flashback: Stanford quarterback Jim Plunkett became the first Latino to win the Heisman Trophy in 1970, and later became the first Mexican American quarterback to win a Super Bowl with Mexican American coach Tom Flores with the Oakland Raiders.
- Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, whose grandfather was born in Mexico, became the second Latino to win the Heisman in 2021.
