Overview
- Cristobal praised former Columbus High lineman Fernando Mendoza Sr. on The Pat McAfee Show after a photo of their 1980s offensive line was shown, calling him a great player.
- At Saturday’s pre-championship media session, Cristobal said he cannot stay in touch with everyone but expressed strong respect for the Mendoza family.
- Mendoza Sr. played alongside Cristobal and current Miami line coach Alex Mirabal at Columbus, with former coach Dennis Lavelle recalling that group as “freaking perfect.”
- After high school, Mendoza Sr. rowed at Brown and later built a medical career in Miami, while his son, Fernando V, won the Heisman after transferring to Indiana from Cal.
- Fernando Mendoza V, a Columbus alum who was lightly recruited out of high school and later pursued by Miami during his transfer, leads Indiana against the Hurricanes on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium.