‘Human pinball’: Star QB Fernando Mendoza crushes the talk show circuit
Quarterback of the moment Fernando Mendoza isn’t exactly getting eight hours of shut-eye lately.
His life dramatically changed the instant he made that acrobatic touchdown during Monday night’s national championship game at Hard Rock Stadium between his Indiana Hoosiers and the hometown Miami Hurricanes.
Despite the dramatic victory, Mendoza has done anything but ice down and rest up. First order of business: He and the boys went clubbing at E11EVEN Miami after the thrilling game until the wee hours.
By Thursday night, Mendoza was suiting up again — to complete a whirlwind tour on the chat-show circuit in New York City. The Christopher Columbus High grad did a surprise walk-on during Jimmy Fallon’s “Tonight Show” monologue to cheers and squeals.
When asked how it felt to clinch the natty, Mendoza cracked a joke.
“Well, we finally got our coach, [Curt] Cignetti, to smile, which was the biggest accomplishment,” Mendoza said of his stone-faced leader.
Then, in all seriousness, Mendoza added that the victory was extra sweet because Indiana is more known for basketball, and his football team was full of players who’d been ”doubted their entire lives.” (Including Mendoza, who was declined a walk-on scholarship by UM.)
Fallon, of course, had to inquire about his now-famous guest’s thought process when he propelled his body horizontally into the end zone to help beat the Canes.
“First of all, it’s a running play, and I’m a quarterback, I’m a passer,” the six-foot-five player explained. “So at first, I’m like, OK, here we go ... I’m supposed to run left. And all of a sudden, some instinct tells me, Let’s run right. It’s like when you miss your exit on [Google] maps and you’re like, Oh, shoot .... But luckily it was the exit to a touchdown.”
There was no stopping him.
“I was like a human pinball machine,” Mendoza recalled. “All of a sudden, I’m in the air. I’m like, might as well reach the touchdown, because I’m so banged up I don’t know if I’ll be able to get up!”
Speaking of getting back up, a few hours after his Fallon appearance, Mendoza was in the spotlight again.
Looking no worse for wear, the Heisman Trophy winner sat down with “Good Morning America,” answering a similar line of rapid-fire questioning.
Reporter Lara Spencer had to ask: Has the championship sunk in yet?
“We made sure to party hard after, and celebrate accordingly,” Mendoza said, likely referring to his night out at E11EVEN. “However, it’s slowly, slowly sinking in, and we’re all very happy.”
The 22-year-old added his concerned parents had since forgiven him for putting his body on the line and getting slammed as he scored.
“I was lucky enough to get thrusted in, and by the glory of God, I saw the goal line, stuck the ball out, and we scored!”
College diver Spencer gave Mendoza’s impressive launch a Perfect 10, and asked about his next moves. (Mendoza just updated his LinkedIn and social media to say he’s officially looking for a job in the NFL.)
Any thought to playing for idol Tom Brady, who co-owns the Las Vegas Raiders?
“First of all, to be drafted by any team, I’d be so grateful,” Mendoza said, in his signature charmingly modest way. “And I could only do this by glory of God ... it would be a dream come true.”
About those Raiders. While on NBC’s “Today” show for a one-on-one with Craig Melvin, co-host Carson Daly popped in to give the young athlete a warning.
“On behalf of Las Vegas, I just want to say, should you end up with us, I’m sorry,” joked the former MTV VJ, who actually is a Raiders fan. “If you win more than three games, you’re a hero.”
Mendoza also went on “CBS Mornings” to chat with Gayle King, Vladimir Duthiers and retired NFL player and current host Nate Burleson.
During the course of the wide-ranging interview, Mendoza went into more detail about his collegiate life, explaining how involved his parents have been throughout his journey. He touched on how his mother, who’s been battling MS for years, remains his No. 1 fan, and that his father rented an off-campus apartment in Bloomington to support him and his younger brother, Hoosiers teammate Alberto.
“My parents are so great, and they’ve taught me what true love is, what true commitment and true passion is,” Mendoza said. “I’ve had the responsibility to carry that out.”
When asked how it felt to walk out on the field at Hard Rock — in his hometown — Mendoza called the experience “emotional.” The Miami Gardens stadium is where he cheered on the Canes, with his face painted orange and green.
When the sports star looked out at the CFP crowd that night, he saw a sea of familiar faces — not just ones that belonged to his relatives who regularly attend his games, aka the “Mendoza Mafia.” He also saw old friends.
“There was a lot of emotions being at the game,” he said. “However, I know my why. I don’t do it [to] prove Miami fans wrong. I do it to make my family proud.”
This story was originally published January 23, 2026 at 3:05 PM.
