Given that we're going into a slow period, how about some Heisman history to kill some time....
Fernando was the 15th different BT player to win the Heisman, which dates to 1935, and the FIRST since 2006. Obviously, other teams which are now Big 10 members have had Heisman winners...USC; Nebraska...not sure if PSU has had any, but I don't think so:
1. Jay Berwanger, Chicago, 1935
2. Nile Kinnick, Iowa, 1939
3. Tom Harmon, Michigan, 1940
4. Bruce Smith, Minnesota, 1941
5. Les Horvath, OSU, 1944
6. Vic Janowicz, OSU, 1950
7. Alan Ameche, Wisconsin, 1954
8. Hopalong Cassidy, OSU, 1955
9. Archie Griffin, OSU, 1974 & 1975
10. Desmond Howard, Michigan, 1991
11. Eddie George, OSU, 1995
12. Charles Woodson, Michigan, 1997
13. Ron Dayne, Wisconsin, 1999
14. Troy Smith, OSU, 2006
15. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana, 2025
When I was a kid Tom Harmon broadcast college football games. He was from the Region, and probably one of the 25 most dominant players ever. He passed on going pro, which wasn't too unusual at that time.
Interesting to see which BT players have finished 2nd in Heisman voting. Includes 3 from Purdue....Phipps lost by the closest margin ever at the time:
1, Tom Harmon, Michigan, 1939
2. Bob Chappuis, Michigan, 1947
3. Paul Giel, Minnesota, 1953 (also, 3rd in 1952)
4. Alex Karras, Iowa, 1957
5. Randy Duncan, Iowa, 1958
6. Tom Brown, Minnesota, 1960
7. Bob Ferguson, OSU, 1961
8. Bob Griese, Purdue, 1966
9. Leroy Keyes, Purdue, 1968 (also, 3rd in 1967)
10. John Hicks, OSU, 1973
11. Keith Byers, OSU, 1984
12. Chuck Long, Iowa, 1985
13. Anthony Thompson, Indiana, 1989
14. Brad Banks, Iowa, 2002
15. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin, 2014
Chappuis, Giel, Karras, Griese, Keyes, and Gordon were all fantastic players, better than some of those above who won it. Karris & Hicks were note- worthy for being interior lineman. (Orlando Pace & Dick Butkis both finished 3rd their SR years). Karras was another player from the Region. He had a brother who was an excellent player who went to Purdue, and another brother who went to IU. I met Keyes about 10 years ago and had a chance to speak with him for a few minutes. A great guy. Byers was a great TB who had a bad injury after his Soph year, and was never as good thereafter. Long very nearly won....one of closest votes ever, along with Phipps and AT among BT players.
IU Players other than Mendoza who got significant Heisman votes:
--AT in 1989 (2nd) & 1988 (8th). He would have won it in '89 but for a missed last-second FG attempt against Purdue--36 yards as I recall. Most difficult Purdue win over IU ever for me. The 2nd one I remember with horror was when Mike Alstott destroyed us in Bloomington. What a great player he was......strangely, never 1st team ABT in his years at Purdue.
--Pete Pihos, 8th in 1945
--Antwaan Randle-El, 6th in 2001
--Tevin Coleman, 7th in 2014
--Billy Hillenbrand, 5th in 1942
--Vaughn Dunbar, 6th in 1991
John Cappettelli (SIC) won it for PSU in 1973.
I think Kurtis Rourke was 8th or 9th in the Heisman voting last year.
@kelly_32 9th. A remarkable year. He doesn’t get the credit he deserves.
@kelly_32 9th. A remarkable year. He doesn’t get the credit he deserves.
I think it's great that Gig has spoken up for that team. The media narrative that developed after the OSU & ND games was BS. I think Cig knows we would have given both those teams all they could ask for with a healthy Rourke and/or a neutral field. We watched that team and know how good it was throughout the year.
John Cappettelli (SIC) won it for PSU in 1973.
Yes, I forgot him....a nice player, but PSU's probably had 25 better over the last 50 years!!
@mushroomgod Don't point that finger at us for the media narrative...haha. That team was VERY good. Obviously missing a few key pieces up front, but the 2024 was a legit top 10 team.
@thehoosierhuddle Press credentials = media scum. But you're our media scum!
@mushroomgod exactly. I think cig knows he didn’t put them in the best position. Not having a workable silent count and not taking risks in big games
hes learned from his mistakes and we got this season
@mushroomgod ... Tom Harmon did play pro football.... He was born in my wife's hometown of Rensselaer and moved to Gary when he was five years old... After graduating from Michigan he was drafted #1 by the Bears in the 1941 draft... But, he decided to turn down the contract with the Bears so he could go into broadcasting... However, less than a year later the Lake County Draft Board decided he could either get drafted or enlist in the service so he enlisted and served as a pilot in the Army Air Corp. during WWII. When he returned home he played two years with the L.A. Rams and then, after getting his nose broke thirteen times throughout his football career, he decided to retire and go back in to broadcasting and movies.
@mushroomgod ... Tom Harmon did play pro football.... He was born in my wife's hometown of Rensselaer and moved to Gary when he was five years old... After graduating from Michigan he was drafted #1 by the Bears in the 1941 draft... But, he decided to turn down the contract with the Bears so he could go into broadcasting... However, less than a year later the Lake County Draft Board decided he could either get drafted or enlist in the service so he enlisted and served as a pilot in the Army Air Corp. during WWII. When he returned home he played two years with the L.A. Rams and then, after getting his nose broke thirteen times throughout his football career, he decided to retire and go back in to broadcasting and movies.
Thanks.....I remember that now. What I had read about it was that his WW2 service took a lot out of him, and he wasn't the same player in the pros.
I'm pretty into college football history, IU and other Big Ten especially, but I don't think too many posters are....probably because there aren't many as old as me. When I was a kid my Dad would talk about the '45 team and Bo M....I saw the '67 Bucket game. And when I was at IU, the old stadium was still being used for the band and Little 5.
Speaking of the Region....Back in the stone ages when Purdue was good they got tons of players out of the Region and also out of the Chicago area. That whole area has drastically declined as a source of HS football talent.......
@mushroomgod ... Tom Harmon did play pro football.... He was born in my wife's hometown of Rensselaer and moved to Gary when he was five years old... After graduating from Michigan he was drafted #1 by the Bears in the 1941 draft... But, he decided to turn down the contract with the Bears so he could go into broadcasting... However, less than a year later the Lake County Draft Board decided he could either get drafted or enlist in the service so he enlisted and served as a pilot in the Army Air Corp. during WWII. When he returned home he played two years with the L.A. Rams and then, after getting his nose broke thirteen times throughout his football career, he decided to retire and go back in to broadcasting and movies.
Thanks.....I remember that now. What I had read about it was that his WW2 service took a lot out of him, and he wasn't the same player in the pros.
I'm pretty into college football history, IU and other Big Ten especially, but I don't think too many posters are....probably because there aren't many as old as me. When I was a kid my Dad would talk about the '45 team and Bo M....I saw the '67 Bucket game. And when I was at IU, the old stadium was still being used for the band and Little 5.
Speaking of the Region....Back in the stone ages when Purdue was good they got tons of players out of the Region and also out of the Chicago area. That whole area has drastically declined as a source of HS football talent.......
Here's a question I don't think anyone on here would get without cheating.........IF Fernando is picked #1 in the NFL draft, he would not be the first IU football player so honored.....what other IU football player was picked #1, and in what year? Any guesses?
Corby Davis?@mushroomgod ... Tom Harmon did play pro football.... He was born in my wife's hometown of Rensselaer and moved to Gary when he was five years old... After graduating from Michigan he was drafted #1 by the Bears in the 1941 draft... But, he decided to turn down the contract with the Bears so he could go into broadcasting... However, less than a year later the Lake County Draft Board decided he could either get drafted or enlist in the service so he enlisted and served as a pilot in the Army Air Corp. during WWII. When he returned home he played two years with the L.A. Rams and then, after getting his nose broke thirteen times throughout his football career, he decided to retire and go back in to broadcasting and movies.
Thanks.....I remember that now. What I had read about it was that his WW2 service took a lot out of him, and he wasn't the same player in the pros.
I'm pretty into college football history, IU and other Big Ten especially, but I don't think too many posters are....probably because there aren't many as old as me. When I was a kid my Dad would talk about the '45 team and Bo M....I saw the '67 Bucket game. And when I was at IU, the old stadium was still being used for the band and Little 5.
Speaking of the Region....Back in the stone ages when Purdue was good they got tons of players out of the Region and also out of the Chicago area. That whole area has drastically declined as a source of HS football talent.......
Here's a question I don't think anyone on here would get without cheating.........IF Fernando is picked #1 in the NFL draft, he would not be the first IU football player so honored.....what other IU football player was picked #1, and in what year? Any guesses?
Got me....1938. Fernando would be in some good BT company...Jay Berwanger, the 1st Heisman winner; Davis; Tom Harmon; Randy Duncan; Bubba Smith; Tom Cousineau; Jeff George; Dan Wilkinson; Orlando Pace; Jake Long....higher than Dick Butkis (3), Charles Woodson (4), or Otto Graham (3), among others.Corby Davis?@mushroomgod ... Tom Harmon did play pro football.... He was born in my wife's hometown of Rensselaer and moved to Gary when he was five years old... After graduating from Michigan he was drafted #1 by the Bears in the 1941 draft... But, he decided to turn down the contract with the Bears so he could go into broadcasting... However, less than a year later the Lake County Draft Board decided he could either get drafted or enlist in the service so he enlisted and served as a pilot in the Army Air Corp. during WWII. When he returned home he played two years with the L.A. Rams and then, after getting his nose broke thirteen times throughout his football career, he decided to retire and go back in to broadcasting and movies.
Thanks.....I remember that now. What I had read about it was that his WW2 service took a lot out of him, and he wasn't the same player in the pros.
I'm pretty into college football history, IU and other Big Ten especially, but I don't think too many posters are....probably because there aren't many as old as me. When I was a kid my Dad would talk about the '45 team and Bo M....I saw the '67 Bucket game. And when I was at IU, the old stadium was still being used for the band and Little 5.
Speaking of the Region....Back in the stone ages when Purdue was good they got tons of players out of the Region and also out of the Chicago area. That whole area has drastically declined as a source of HS football talent.......
Here's a question I don't think anyone on here would get without cheating.........IF Fernando is picked #1 in the NFL draft, he would not be the first IU football player so honored.....what other IU football player was picked #1, and in what year? Any guesses?
@mushroomgod ... Oh, I'm probably as old or older than you...My mom dated one of the starting ends on the 1945 team and I think I had the entire 1945 starting lineup memorized by the time I was able to read!... I was also at the old stadium for a Little 5.. One of my earliest memories of IU football was listening to the 1962 Bucket game on the radio and hearing the call as Marv Woodson returned an interception 92 yards for a TD and as they were calling it my mom was cheering so loud I could hardly hear the announcers call!.... I remember as a freshman in HS watching the Rose Bowl at our neighbors house on their brand new COLOR RCA TV! ..... I'm a huge college and pro football history fan, too... I've been called a true plethora of useless information 😆 ... Or, as my mom would always joke (okay, some times she wasn't joking) with me, "If you worked as hard on your homework as you do on reading college football and auto racing stats, you'd be a Rhodes Scholar.".... .... BTW, here's something you might like, Tom Cousineau's dad was an assistant football coach at my HS in Indianapolis my freshman year.
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