Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza suggests dating can derail football focus

Indiana star quarterback Fernando Mendoza’s candid feedback about his private life have returned to the forefront.

In 2024, the presumptive prime decide on this 12 months’s NFL Draft revealed that he prevented relationship throughout his faculty soccer profession, citing the potential of a romantic relationship to create distraction.

“Particularly with the ladies, it may be very distracting,” Mendoza stated on the time whereas taking part in for the UC Berkeley Golden Bears. “Possibly you will discover your old flame in faculty and all that, however… I’ll give it my all. So if I’ve a girlfriend, I’ll give her every part.”

Mendoza’s clear stance returned simply days after main the Hoosiers to this system’s first-ever School Soccer Playoff nationwide championship.

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Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza passes towards Miami throughout the first half of the School Soccer Playoff nationwide championship sport on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP Picture)

“And I imagine I’ll make it to the NFL,” Mendoza added within the clip shared in 2024. “At this level, although, I have to restrict all distractions.”

INDIANA’S FERNANDO MENDOZA SHARE LESSONS FROM NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WIN ON LINKEDIN

Whereas in Berkeley, Mendoza stated he lived “a three-minute stroll from the ability.”

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza throws earlier than a sport towards Wisconsin on Nov. 15, 2025, in Bloomington, Ind. (Darron Cummings/AP Picture)

From Mendoza’s standpoint, having a girlfriend lately might have prevented him from coaching to the extent he wished to.

“Which means I am going again from 6 to 9 [p.m.] simply to hang around together with her, perhaps get one thing to eat or one thing, as a substitute of perhaps selecting up dinner on the best way again from class and watching further movie for sport week.

Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza gestures after the CFP nationwide championship sport towards the Miami Hurricanes at Exhausting Rock Stadium on January 19, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Photographs)

Mendoza moved from California to Indiana previous to the 2025 season, threw for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns and was the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner.

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Mendoza and the Hoosiers capped an undefeated season with a 27-21 victory over Miami within the nationwide title sport Monday.

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