The Tonight Show really is “where the champions go.”
Indiana University quarterback Fernando Mendoza will make a “surprise” appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s show tonight.
Days after the college football star led the Hoosiers to their first-ever national championship title, Mendoza will drop in on Fallon’s show for his late-night television debut. He is not expected to sit for a formal interview.
The 22-year-old is the projected No. 1 pick in April’s NFL draft after his breakout season with the historically bad-news-bears Hoosiers. In December, Mendoza was awarded the Heisman Trophy after leading the team through an undefeated season; the Hoosiers became the first team in 130 years to end the season with a 16-0 record. On January 19, the Hoosiers defeated the Miami Hurricanes 27-21 to nab the championship.
Fallon’s Tonight Show has become a common first stop for newly minted sports champs, prompting the host to often declare that the program is “where the champions go.” Last year, special guest athletes included the Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley after their Super Bowl win, and a monologue drop-in by tennis star Coco Gauff fresh off her French Open win.
The show has also leaned on football to draw in viewers throughout the season, scheduling multiple Sunday-night episodes to follow NFL games.
Fallon’s guest lineup for this Thursday night also includes Anthony Anderson, Louis Tomlinson, and Nell Fisher.
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