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Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, born in Miami and of Cuban descent, wrote a historic chapter by winning the Heisman Trophy, which establishes him as the best player in college football in the United States.
With this distinction, Mendoza became the first athlete from Indiana University to win the award since its inception in 1935 and the first Cuban American to achieve this feat.
According to the report from Telemundo, Mendoza received 2,362 first-place votes, surpassing Mexican quarterback Diego Pavia from Vanderbilt, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin.
The young athlete led the Hoosiers to a perfect season, with 2,980 passing yards, 33 touchdown passes, and six rushing touchdowns, securing the team's spot in the College Football Playoff which will take place on January first at the Rose Bowl.
Trained at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, Mendoza has also been recognized as Player of the Year by the Associated Press and has won the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards.
His victory was celebrated by the official account of the Heisman Trophy and by political figures from Florida.
The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, publicly congratulated Fernando Mendoza following his victory in the Heisman Trophy.
In a message posted on X, the president highlighted that the quarterback is an alumnus of Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, and celebrated the victory as a source of pride for the state, acknowledging his talent and discipline in college football.
For his part, Cuban-American congressman Carlos Giménez also sent a message of recognition to the new Heisman winner.
In his post, he recalled that Mendoza was a student at the same school and emphasized that his victory makes him the first Cuban-American to win this award, an achievement he deemed a source of pride for the Cuban-American community in the United States.
With this achievement, Mendoza joins the list of players who have won the Heisman in four of the last five years, solidifying his name among the greats of collegiate sports and bringing the pride of Miami and the Cuban community to the highest levels of American football in the United States.
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