Fernando Mendoza, Diego Pavia open doors as Heisman Trophy finalists
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Anthony Solis, Director of Social Media | New York Bureau Chief
- December 12, 2025
Fernando Mendoza, Diego Pavia envision more recruiting opportunities for Latinos
NEW YORK — The night before the Heisman Trophy ceremony is a rare pause in a sport that never stops moving. For Fernando Mendoza and Diego Pavia, it’s a moment suspended between gratitude and gravity: a chance to breathe, reflect, and recognize how far they’ve come before the next chapter begins.
For the first time in the award’s 90-year history, two Latino finalists will sit side by side as their names are called Saturday night at Lincoln Center’s Appel Room. Fifty-five years after Stanford’s Jim Plunkett became the first Latino to win the Heisman, Mendoza and Pavia have already made history simply by being here.
What happens next will only add to it.
Mendoza’s mindset entering the weekend reflects the dual reality of his season. The Indiana quarterback is balancing the honor of being a Heisman finalist with the responsibility of leading the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, where a national title run for the Hoosiers begins Jan. 1 at the Rose Bowl.
Fernando Mendoza soaks it all in
“I think the schedule works out great,” Mendoza said. “We’re all honored to play in the Rose Bowl. It’s a dream, especially since my first three years were at Cal. Everybody always talks about the Rose Bowl, how magical it is.
“We do have a couple weeks right now, so it’s great to enjoy this weekend, celebrate it, soak it all in, and then once it’s over, keep our foot on the gas and prepare.”
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That balance—presence without distraction—defines Mendoza’s approach. The Heisman weekend is something to appreciate, not something to cling to. The work, he knows, is still ahead.
But even with playoff preparation looming, the meaning of this moment isn’t lost on him. With Pavia seated just feet away and Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez also finishing in the Top 5 in the Heisman voting, Mendoza sees this year as a turning point for representation in college football.
‘Special moment for Hispanic community’
“What a special moment for the Hispanic community,” Mendoza said. “It really shows all the Hispanic kids out there, whether you’re Cuban, Mexican, whatever Hispanic ethnicity you are, you can make it and you can do it. This is a new age of Hispanic kids coming up.”
For Mendoza, that perspective is deeply personal. Raised in Miami by Cuban American parents, with all four grandparents born in Cuba, his understanding of heritage didn’t come from afar.
It was lived. Studied. Embraced.
“It’s something that means a lot to me,” he said. “I give a lot of credit to my grandparents. They took me to visit Cuba when I was in high school. To go back to my roots really gave me a complete view of what my Hispanic heritage means.
“They showed me the importance of giving back to your community and praising the importance of the Hispanic community.”
Across the room, Diego Pavia carries a different kind of weight into the Heisman ceremony Saturday night. It’s not the pressure of a playoff, but the gravity of a singular opportunity. Vanderbilt’s quarterback isn’t preparing for another game. This moment stands alone.
‘A bunch of underdogs’
A Mexican American from New Mexico, Pavia speaks openly about where he comes from and who he represents. When asked what it means to be a Heisman finalist for the Hispanic community, his answer was rooted in lived experience.
“I feel like we’re a bunch of underdogs in the Hispanic community,” Pavia said. “You see a lot of people who wake up and work more than a 9 to 5, 6 to 6. We’ve always been underdogs.”
That underdog mentality shaped his journey, from overlooked recruit to SEC giant-killer to Heisman finalist. And now, standing alongside Mendoza, Pavia sees this moment as something that can change perceptions and open doors.
“I think we’ll probably get recruited more,” he said. “It’s good for the community. You get all these people from Hispanic culture, from Europe, South America, it’s great to have every single community. That’s why football is the greatest sport. You get everyone together to bond over one game.”
On Saturday night, one name will be called.
But on this night, Fernando Mendoza and Diego Pavia share something bigger than an award. They’re proof that the future of college football looks broader, deeper and more representative than ever.
Anthony Solis
Director of Social Media | New York Bureau Chief
Anthony Solis is a graduate of Penn State University. In 2018, he joined the MLB Players Association and rose to become its Manager of International and Domestic Communications. In 2022, he accepted a Social Media Manager role with RECUR, a groundbreaking NFT company. Solis joined Our Esquina as its Director of Social Media.
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