Jules Koundé: "Football players can go six months or even a whole year without getting paid and still live comfortably, without it affecting them at all...
Unlike the people who leave their homes at 7 AM and come back at 8 PM, just to earn a small amount for their families...
I don’t get why fans look up to football players as role models. I wouldn’t recommend it. The real role model is the dad who works hard every day for his family.”
Well said 👏👏
@LarryTaunton Still not going to buy another one of his books. Bummer, too, because the Long Walk or whatever looked like an interesting movie that I’ll just have to miss out on.
The Hoosiers are being criminally SLEPT ON, and it’s time to set the record straight with some cold, hard FACTS.
Let’s start with the headline: Indiana landed Fernando Mendoza, arguably the BEST quarterback in the transfer portal. This guy threw for 3,004 yards and 16 touchdowns at Cal last year, starting 19 games.
Coach Curt Cignetti, who’s turned every QB he’s touched into gold, says Mendoza’s on track to follow the same path as his past stars like Kurtis Rourke (Big Ten’s No. 2 QB in efficiency last year), Todd Centeio (Sun Belt POY), and Jordan McCloud (Sun Belt POY).
Mendoza’s got ELITE potential, and with a revamped O-line featuring transfers like Colorado’s Kahlil Benson, Notre Dame’s Pat Coogan, and Ohio State’s Zen Michalski, he’ll have the protection to shine.
Then there’s the returning core: FOUR All-Big Ten studs. Cornerback D’Angelo Ponds (9 PBUs), linebacker Aiden Fisher (118 tackles), defensive lineman Mikail Kamara (15 TFLs), and wideout Elijah Sarratt (957 yards, 8 TDs) are back and ready to explode.
This isn’t a rebuild—it’s a reload.
What's even worse is the hypocrisy in college football.
Fans and media are quick to overhype SEC teams like Oklahoma, Florida, and Auburn, despite their coaches—Brent Venables, Billy Napier, and Hugh Freeze—floundering as lame ducks. Oklahoma’s 6-7 last year? Auburn’s 5-7? Florida’s 7-5? Yet they get a pass because of their team's history.
Meanwhile, Big Ten coaches like Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell and Michigan State’s Jonathan Smith get deserved criticism for their shaky starts. Why the double standard?
Apparently, John Mateer will change Oklahoma, but Fernando Mendoza can't be as good as last year's starter, who played with a torn ACL all year? That's insane.
Indiana’s Curt Cignetti just led the Hoosiers to an 11-2 record, a College Football Playoff bid, and a No. 10 AP ranking—their best since 1967—yet people act like it’s a fluke. Wake up!
Cignetti’s resume speaks for itself: in 14 years as a head coach, he’s finished outside his conference’s top 3 just TWICE. The man’s a winner, and Indiana’s backing him like never before.
A $72M contract over eight years, an $11M staff salary pool (top 5 nationally) that kept away schools like Penn State, Ohio State, and USC, who came calling for their top assistants, and a fan base buzzing with belief after decades of being a basketball school.
Indiana is Fast. Physical. Relentless. Smart. Discipline. Poised. That’s the kind of culture Cignetti’s built.
Sure, the schedule’s tougher this year—road trips to Iowa, Oregon, and Penn State, plus Illinois at home early—but Indiana’s ready.
They’ve addressed last year’s weakness (a 13% sack rate against elite teams like Ohio State, Michigan, and Notre Dame) with those O-line upgrades. Mendoza’s mobility will add a new dimension, unlike Rourke, who played on a torn ACL. And with coordinators Bryant Haines ($2M deal) and Mike Shanahan locked in, this program’s built for the long haul.
College football fans need to stop clinging to brand names and start respecting Indiana for what they are: a program on the rise, with a proven coach, a star QB, and a roster ready to compete with anyone.
The Hoosiers aren’t a one-hit wonder—they’re here to stay. 🏆
#GoogleMe #Hoosiers #BigTen #CFB