Catholic Indiana football star Fernando Mendoza created buzz in a recent video circulating on social media.
Mendoza spoke during a press conference on January 7, 2026, ahead of Indiana’s semifinal game against Oregon at the Peach Bowl.
CatholicVote published a video of Mendoza explaining his routine before games. He said he does not listen to music, but meditates in prayer so he can “stay cool, calm, and collected.”
Here is the video below:
The full caption of the video reads,
“While most players crank up a hype song, Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza prays before every game.
"'I honestly don't listen to hype songs because I have to stay cool, calm, and collected. I actually meditate and pray before the game.'"
"Love this 👏”.
Several users positively commented on the video. One user even praised the football star for being a “role model.”
Here’s how some people reacted:
“So proud of our guy! The best role model!” one Instagram user said.
“Grandma and grandpa were on to something all those years!” another Instagram user said.
“Love this guy!” another person said.
“The man!” someone else wrote.
“What terrific parenting,” an X user said.
“Love this kid,” an X user added.
Here is Fernando Mendoza's press conference below:
Fernando Mendoza is no stranger to making public declarations of faith.
In November of 2025, ChurchPOP reported Mendoza’s declaration of faith on FOX. He “gave all glory to God” after Indiana’s victory against Penn State.
Then, in December of 2025, Mendoza praised God after he won the Heisman Trophy.
“First, I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to chase a dream that once felt a world away,” he said.
Fr. Patrick Hyde, OP, a Dominican priest and pastor of the Newman Center at Indiana University, congratulated Mendoza for his historic achievement. He made Mendoza's Mass attendance a central part of this congratulatory statement.
"The guy you see every Sunday at Mass," Father Hyde wrote in the text overlay of his video.