Sen. Jim Banks Touts Historic Indiana Football Season, Heisman Winner Fernando Mendoza on Senate Floor

WASHINGTON - Today, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) spoke on the United States Senate Floor about the Indiana Hoosiers' historic football season under Coach Curt Cignetti and praised Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza.

Click Image Above to Watch the Full Speech.

Full remarks as delivered:

"Thank you, Madam President,

As we begin the new year, there a lot of things that members of Congress and the American people are paying attention to. There's something that's really extraordinary going on in my home state of Indiana, and it's not just Hoosiers who are paying attention -the whole country is following Indiana football.

I'm the first in my family to go to college, and it was a no-brainer for me to attend Indiana University in Bloomington. Everyone knows that IU is a basketball school. IU has won five national championships, we had the legendary 1976 undefeated in the NCAA-the only undefeated team in college basketball history.

When I got to college in the 1990s, one of the reasons that I attended IU was to watch Bobby Knight coach basketball games. We had great players over the years-Isiah Thomas, Damon Bailey, Steve Alford, and so many others who played at Assembly Hall and made Indiana proud. Assembly Hall is the mecca of college basketball, and it's one of the reasons I wanted to go to college there in the first place.

Madam President, when I go back to IU and attend basketball games, I still get choked up during the pregame show at Assembly Hall every single time.

But IU was never known as a football school. Sure, we had great talent-Antwaan Randle El was there when I attended IU-but IU football always had a lot more downs than it had ups. In fact, when I was a student, the football program was so bad that they gave free season tickets to students living in the dorms, and at every game the stadium was hardly ever even half full except for those occasions when the Ohio State Buckeyes came over the state line to play in Bloomington.

As IU fans, we were trained never to get our hopes up about Indiana football. But now, my, how the tides have turned.

Now the entire country is watching one of the greatest turnarounds in sports history.

From being college football's all-time leader in losses to now having an undefeated season-where we won the Rose Bowl, the Big Ten Championship, and a Heisman Trophy winner-IU football has captured the country's attention. In fact, the great Dick Vitale said that quote "Hoosier football is the greatest turn around" he's ever seen.

When IU's President Pam Whitten and Athletic Director Scott Dolson brought on Coach Curt Cignetti, IU's program turned around almost overnight. When my wife and I attended the game earlier this season against Wisconsin, the stadium was absolutely packed, a real change from what past games used to look like.

Coach Cignetti has brought great pride to the state of Indiana.

Madam President, I want to highlight the incredible young man who led IU to glory this season, the great Fernando Mendoza.

Just three weeks ago, he became the first Heisman Trophy winner in Indiana University's history-When I was in college, I got to tell you, it would have been impossible to imagine having a Heisman Trophy winner at Indiana University.

But Madam President, what makes this man truly exceptional is not simply his award -winning career on the field. What makes Fernando so incredible is that he represents the very best of what we hope to see in our nation's young people, a combination of excellence, character, faith, and service to others.

In fact, a few days ago Fernando led the Hoosiers to an incredible 38-3 victory over Alabama in the Rose Bowl, winning the first ever Rose Bowl in IU's history, and the first win in the modern playoff era for the Indiana Hoosiers

Right after the game, Fernando was asked about the win, and you know what he said? Before anything else he said, "My team and I want to give all the glory to God." In all of his interviews, Fernando always makes sure to thank God first. That is a man who has his priorities straight. That is a man who is proud to live out his faith, who honors God in everything he does.

But there is more. With Fernando Mendoza, there is really no "I" in team. When he received his Heisman Trophy, Fernando made it clear that it wasn't his trophy alone. Instead, he said that it was quote "Our trophy." And that is why he has made the gracious decision to keep the Heisman Trophy in Bloomington, Indiana, because the trophy belongs to the university and to the fans, he said. I am incredibly proud of that decision, and I thank Fernando Mendoza for making that decision. I can't wait to go to Bloomington to see it.

In his Heisman Trophy speech, Fernando mentioned how his family has always stood by his side throughout his career, and that they never stopped believing in him.

Fernando particularly thanked his mother, Elsa. He said quote"this is your trophy as much as mine." Elsa suffers from Multiple Sclerosis [Sklu-rosis], a tough and often painful disease. In honor of his mother, Fernando has raised over $100K to fight MS-what an incredible act of kindness, and what a special way to honor his mother.

In that Heisman Trophy acceptance speech, after thanking his teammates, his family, and Coach Cignetti, Fernando addressed the young people who might be tuning in. He said quote "I want every kid out there who feels overlooked, underestimated to know: I was you. I was that kid too. I was in your shoes. The truth is, you don't need the most stars, hype or rankings. You just need discipline, heart and people who believe in you and you need to believe in your own abilities."

Madam President, our young people need role models today more than ever, and they need role models like Fernando Mendoza. He shows them that faith matters, that family comes first, and that hard work pays off.

He's proof that you can be a champion on the field and still be humble. That you can be competitive and still put God first. That success means nothing if you're not using it to help others.

Fernando Mendoza is the kind of young man I want three daughters to look up to, and other kids of their generation to look up to.

Indiana is lucky to have him, we are proud to have him, and America is better because of him.

Madam President, I don't know how this story ends. Semi-final game in Atlanta on Friday that I look forward to attending. Championship game in Miami the following week.

I can't wait to cheer on the Hoosiers, I don't know how this great story ends. The Hoosiers have the possibility to be the first team ever to win 16 games and go undefeated.

But I can't tell you how much pride the great state of Indiana has and this football team wearing the Indiana on their uniform. They represent us so well. The Hoosier state is proud.

And I wanted to take a moment, Madam President to just come to the floor and simply say: Go Hoosiers.

I yield back."

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