Indiana University Athletics
Big Ten Tabs Mendoza as Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year
7/8/2026 1:00:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana football quarterback Fernando Mendoza has been selected as the 2025-26 Big Ten Conference Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year, announced the conference office on Wednesday (July 8).
Mendoza is the sixth Indiana student-athlete to earn the Big Ten Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year honor and the first since track and field student-athlete Derek Drouin in 2013. This is the second such honor for the Hoosiers' football program, as Mendoza joins Anthony Thompson, who won the award in 1990.
Mendoza is the eighth football student-athlete to claim the honor, joining Iowa's Chuck Long (1986), Thompson (1990), Michigan's Desmond Howard (1992) and Charles Woodson (1998), Ohio State's Eddie George (1996) and Chase Young (2020), and Wisconsin's Ron Dayne (2000).
In March, Mendoza became the second-ever Hoosier selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft and the first to be drafted 1.1 in the common draft era. He joined halfback Corbett Davis (1938) in the IU draft record books and was the first, first-round pick for Indiana since Thomas Lewis went 24th overall to the New York Giants in 1994.
He was the first Big Ten student-athlete to be selected first overall in the NFL since 2008 (Jake Long, OT – Michigan) and joined Jeff George (1990) of Illinois as the only Big Ten quarterbacks selected with the No. 1 overall pick in conference history.
In 2025, Mendoza was the lone FBS quarterback with five games of 4-plus touchdown passes and zero interceptions and paced the FBS in percentage of passes that resulted in a touchdown at 10.8%, over one point higher than the next closest passer (Julian Sayin, Ohio State; 9.2%).
Mendoza led the nation in passing touchdowns (41) and touchdowns responsible for (48), both set IU single season standards. He is the third Big Ten quarterback since 2000 with three-straight games of at least four passing touchdowns and zero interceptions - C.J. Stroud (Ohio State; 2021) and Kyle Orton (Purdue; 2004, four straight). The Miami, Florida, native was also the only FBS quarterback since at least 1996 with multiple games of at least 90 percent completion and four touchdown passes versus Power 4 opponents.
He threw a touchdown pass in 14 of 16 games in 2025 and posted five games with both a passing and rushing touchdown. He threw 41 touchdowns to just six interceptions and tied for No. 2 on the team with seven rushing touchdowns.
Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy, AP College Football National Player of the Year, Davey O'Brien Award, Manning Award, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Hispanic Football Hall of Fame College Player of the Year and the Chicago Tribune Silver Football.
He was a consensus All-America, earned Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year and Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year. The third Hoosier to earn Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year with Thompson (1988 & 1989) and Antwaan Randle El (2001), Mendoza was the seventh IU signal caller and first since Randle El in 2001 to earn first-team All-B1G honors Since 1950, he is just the third Hoosier to claim the first team spot at quarterback along with Randle El and Harry Gonso (1967).
The Big Ten Championship Game MVP, Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl Offensive MVP and College Football Playoff National Championship Game Offensive MVP, his play in the postseason also earned him the quarterback nod on the AP All-College Football Playoff Team.
Mendoza is the sixth Indiana student-athlete to earn the Big Ten Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year honor and the first since track and field student-athlete Derek Drouin in 2013. This is the second such honor for the Hoosiers' football program, as Mendoza joins Anthony Thompson, who won the award in 1990.
Mendoza is the eighth football student-athlete to claim the honor, joining Iowa's Chuck Long (1986), Thompson (1990), Michigan's Desmond Howard (1992) and Charles Woodson (1998), Ohio State's Eddie George (1996) and Chase Young (2020), and Wisconsin's Ron Dayne (2000).
In March, Mendoza became the second-ever Hoosier selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft and the first to be drafted 1.1 in the common draft era. He joined halfback Corbett Davis (1938) in the IU draft record books and was the first, first-round pick for Indiana since Thomas Lewis went 24th overall to the New York Giants in 1994.
He was the first Big Ten student-athlete to be selected first overall in the NFL since 2008 (Jake Long, OT – Michigan) and joined Jeff George (1990) of Illinois as the only Big Ten quarterbacks selected with the No. 1 overall pick in conference history.
In 2025, Mendoza was the lone FBS quarterback with five games of 4-plus touchdown passes and zero interceptions and paced the FBS in percentage of passes that resulted in a touchdown at 10.8%, over one point higher than the next closest passer (Julian Sayin, Ohio State; 9.2%).
Mendoza led the nation in passing touchdowns (41) and touchdowns responsible for (48), both set IU single season standards. He is the third Big Ten quarterback since 2000 with three-straight games of at least four passing touchdowns and zero interceptions - C.J. Stroud (Ohio State; 2021) and Kyle Orton (Purdue; 2004, four straight). The Miami, Florida, native was also the only FBS quarterback since at least 1996 with multiple games of at least 90 percent completion and four touchdown passes versus Power 4 opponents.
He threw a touchdown pass in 14 of 16 games in 2025 and posted five games with both a passing and rushing touchdown. He threw 41 touchdowns to just six interceptions and tied for No. 2 on the team with seven rushing touchdowns.
Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy, AP College Football National Player of the Year, Davey O'Brien Award, Manning Award, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Hispanic Football Hall of Fame College Player of the Year and the Chicago Tribune Silver Football.
He was a consensus All-America, earned Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year and Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year. The third Hoosier to earn Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year with Thompson (1988 & 1989) and Antwaan Randle El (2001), Mendoza was the seventh IU signal caller and first since Randle El in 2001 to earn first-team All-B1G honors Since 1950, he is just the third Hoosier to claim the first team spot at quarterback along with Randle El and Harry Gonso (1967).
The Big Ten Championship Game MVP, Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl Offensive MVP and College Football Playoff National Championship Game Offensive MVP, his play in the postseason also earned him the quarterback nod on the AP All-College Football Playoff Team.
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