Fernando Mendoza stood in front of the camera, a red Big Ten Championship shirt draped over his shoulder. “The Big Ten champs—how does that sound?” Jenny Taft asked.
“It sounds so beautiful. I want to give all the glory to God. We were never supposed to be in this position, but by the glory of God, the great coaches, the great teammates—everyone we have around us—we were able to pull this off. Whoever thought the Hoosiers would be here? But now the Hoosiers are flippin’ champs!”
Fernando Mendoza is the definition of a successful athlete. He defines himself through his strong faith, his Cuban heritage, his competitive work ethic, and his love of learning. Now, he is a champion. However, this is not where his story began—or where it ends. This moment is just one small piece of what built this incredible individual.
A Cal transfer, Fernando Mendoza grew up in Miami, Florida, surrounded by Cuban culture. “Yeah, so my grandfather is extremely engulfed in history—our family’s history. He always sent us emails, texts. I mean, he’s the best about our family’s history,” Mendoza explained, adding, “All my grandparents were born and raised in Cuba—three in Havana, one in Santiago—and I’m extremely grateful for all the hardship they went through coming over, being immigrants, starting from the ground up, and really laying a foundation.”
Mendoza often talks about his grandparents, their emigration from Cuba, and the values they instilled in both Mendoza brothers. These values helped pave the way to a Big Ten Championship and an opportunity to compete to be the best in the country. Mendoza and other elite athletes are similar in a sense: hardworking individuals driven by values and shaped by adversity—all working to be named champions. So what determines whether you come out on top? What creates success and resilience, and how do we use them to overcome challenges?
Fernando Mendoza isn’t the only athlete defined by strong values. Let’s look at last year’s national championship team and examine how the challenges they faced helped build their future. “You have to talk. You have to work the issues out, and I think we did,” former Ohio State quarterback Will Howard shared while addressing the aftermath of the 13–10 loss to the Wolverines. “We came into the team meeting room and hashed some things out.” Other players shared their thoughts as well. Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson added that the team prayed together at the end of the meeting.
Both Indiana and Ohio State are teams held together through strong religious values. In fact, there is a deep connection between athletics and religion. Some of the greatest athletes of all time consistently connect their success, leadership ability, or talent to their faith. But does being a religious athlete guarantee success? The short answer is no. Religion can create strong values and play a role in success; however, for every successful religious athlete, there are many who did not experience the same level of achievement—or at least not how society defines success. So ask yourself: how should you define success? What are your values, and how can you use them to become a successful athlete?
Different values shape us into the people we aspire to be. They help us identify which sport we want to play, which school we want to attend, and play a critical role in our career decisions. Values are everything, and they should be at the forefront of our journey. What motivates you? What makes you happy? What are your study habits? Your practice habits? Values represent personal beliefs and directly influence our behaviors. While values may be considered universal, they are often perceived differently.
Fernando Mendoza identifies strongly with his Cuban culture and hard work ethic, which complement his religious values. He sees himself as a team leader but is also intrinsically driven, often speaking about how much fun he has playing football. His coach, Curt Cignetti, speaks to these same values, recently thanking Nick Saban for inspiring him to work hard and pass those values on to his players.
On January 19, 2026, Cignetti and Mendoza will take the field. They will lead a team of men with one goal in mind, relying on their values and skills to overcome any challenge in front of them. Fernando Mendoza is no fairytale. In fact, he is exactly where he is supposed to be—engulfed in Cuban culture, driven by faith, surrounded by family and friends. He is playing a kid’s game with his extended football family and having fun while doing so.
At Grow Sport Psychology, we believe stories like Fernando Mendoza’s remind us that championships are built long before the spotlight—through values, identity, and intentional mental work. Our role is to help athletes clarify what truly drives them and translate those values into consistent mental performance under pressure. By developing mental toughness, resilience, focus, and confidence, we support athletes in navigating adversity, sustaining motivation, and performing with purpose in both practice and competition. Whether an athlete is striving for a championship moment or simply working to become their best self, we partner with them at every stage of the journey—strengthening mindset, sharpening mental skills, and ensuring success is defined not only by outcomes, but by growth, fulfillment, and long-term performance.
By: Bryce Goll, LPC | Grow Sport Psychology & Mental Performance Improvement
To Learn More:
Call: 331-457-2020
Email: sports@growwellnessgroup.com
Website: growwellnessgroup.com
