Fernando Mendoza, the Indiana Hoosiers quarterback who won the 2025 Heisman Trophy and led his team to a national championship, liked a bikini photo posted by social media influencer Gia Duddy on Instagram shortly after reactivating his account following the season.
The like occurred on a swimsuit photo from Duddy’s Hawaii vacation photo dump, which drew over tens of thousands of likes and comments via Bro Bible. Mendoza reportedly avoids installing Instagram during the football season but returned to the platform after the championship win. The interaction became public because Instagram displays recent likes on posts, prompting widespread coverage and fan reactions online.
Mendoza, a 6-foot-5 quarterback from Miami, transferred to Indiana and emerged as a star. He earned Big Ten Offensive Player and Quarterback of the Year honors, the Heisman Trophy, and led the Hoosiers to an undefeated season. A business school graduate with finance internships and an active LinkedIn profile, he announced his intention to enter the 2026 NFL Draft on Jan. 23, with some analysts projecting him as a potential top overall pick. He is known for a disciplined, team-first approach, strong family ties — including caring for his mother Elsa, who lives with multiple sclerosis — and an earnest public persona focused on football and academics.
Duddy, an influencer with hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers, dated Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis from 2021 until their split in September 2023. The couple met at Penn State. Duddy gained widespread attention during the 2023 NFL Draft when cameras captured her anxious reactions, including gum-chewing moments, as Levis fell unexpectedly in the draft order. Those clips went viral, turning her into a recognizable figure and meme subject. She has since shared advice for NFL draft prospects’ girlfriends and addressed rumors about her post-breakup social life.
Now based in Nashville, Duddy continues building her career as a social media personality and model. She collaborates with brands, shares lifestyle and travel content — including swimsuit photos — and was named to Nashville’s Most Beautiful People list in 2025. Her posts often feature glamorous, revealing imagery that drives high engagement.
The contrast highlights differing public images. Mendoza projects the image of a dedicated, low-profile athlete prioritizing performance, academics and preparation for the NFL, with restrained social media use. Duddy’s online presence, by comparison, centers on visual appeal, influencer branding and high-visibility lifestyle content that frequently includes “thirst trap” style photos. The like has fueled lighthearted online commentary tying back to Duddy’s past relationship with Levis, though neither party has publicly commented.
Flip the pages for Gia Duddy’s thirst traps.
