Fernando Mendoza thanks God after Indiana wins National Championship, drops F-bomb

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Concluding what has been a wildly successful season personally and as a team, Heisman Trophy-winning Indiana University star quarterback Fernando Mendoza thanked God and also dropped an F-bomb after his team won the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday night.

“I want to give all the glory and thanks to God," Mendoza proclaimed in a postgame interview following Indiana University’s 27-21 victory over the University of Miami. “My offensive lineman blocked perfectly, and we were able to execute the team towards a common goal."

Later, Mendoza thanked his friends and family as well as Indiana University’s football coaches “for taking a chance on me,” reiterating how he wanted to “give all the glory to God.” 

As the Indiana Hoosiers were presented with the National Championship trophy, Mendoza pointed to God first, declaring, “I first want to give all the glory to God," and called it “the most special moment of my life." He then exclaimed, “Let’s f— go!” 

When asked about his decision to drop “a curse word” during the ceremony at a postgame press conference, Mendoza attributed the uncharacteristic moment to the fact that he was “overwhelmed by emotion” at the “pinnacle peak” of the season.

Throughout the season, he gave “these cookie-cutter responses and media-trained responses” when asked questions after games that always focused on the “next game” or the “next play.” 

“Now we did it,” he said. “At that point, I think it was only fitting to kind of, you know, open the floodgates per se, probably break my stereotype.” 

Video footage published on SportsCenter’s Instagram page shows both Mendoza and University of Miami quarterback Carson Beck kneeling in prayer on the football field ahead of the game.

Mendoza often publicly displayed his Catholic faith throughout the past season. 

After winning the college football's most prestigious award, the Heisman Trophy, late last year, Mendoza thanked God in his acceptance speech "for giving me the opportunity to chase a dream that once felt a world away.” He once again gave God the glory when Indiana secured a place in the college football playoffs.

“We were never supposed to be in this position,” he added. “By the glory of God, the great coaches, great teammates, everybody we have around us, we were able to pull this off.”

Fr. Patrick Hyde, a Catholic pastor at Indiana University, vouched for the authenticity of Mendoza’s Catholic faith.

“Fernando Mendoza backs up his talk on TV by giving glory to God at Sunday Mass,” Hyde asserted in an X post. “I have wrestled with sharing this because he shows up out of love for God, not human praise. But I share because I hope his witness inspires others to go to Mass.”  

A profile on Mendoza for his appearance on “The Heisman Podcast” states that “Mendoza’s spirituality is woven into everything,” noting that “he prays the Rosary every Friday, listens to online Mass before games, and avoids hype music to stay grounded.”