IU’s Fernando Mendoza and Carter Smith Take Home B1G Individual Player of the Year Awards

Indiana Athletics Release

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana football program added more hardware from the Big Ten Conference coaches and media panels on Thursday (Dec. 4) as quarterback Fernando Mendoza and offensive lineman Carter Smith both earned specialty awards to headline an offense that saw a program-record seven All-Big Ten honorees.

Mendoza was named the Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year and Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year. He is the first to earn the conference’s quarterback of the year honor since its inception in 2011. He is the fourth Hoosier to earn Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and joins Anthony Thompson (1988 & 1989) and Antwaan Randle El (2001). 

Along with those honors, Mendoza was the first-team All-Big Ten quarterback and is just the seventh IU signal caller and first since Randle El in 2001 to earn first team honors. It is just the third time since 1950 a Hoosier took the first team spot at quarterback along with Randle EL and Harry Gonso (1967).

The Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year began in 1984 and Smith is the first Indiana offensive lineman to earn the award. He is also the first offensive to earn a first-team All-Big Ten since Don Schrader in 1987. He is the first offensive tackle to grab a first team spot since Charley Peal in 1977.

Along with the seven defensive honorees and three specialists honored on Wednesday, Indiana saw a program-record 17 players earn a spot on the Big Ten first, second or third teams. IU added two honorable mention nods for a total of 19 student-athletes honored by the conference’s coaches and media.

Mendoza and Smith were the two first team honorees, while wide receivers Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt were selected to the second team by both the coaches and media. Center Pat Coogan and tight end Riley Nowakowski were each selected to the second team by the media and third team by the coaches. Running back Roman Hemby was a third team choice by the media panel and an honorable mention pick from the head coaches.