Jon Wertheim On His '60 Minute' Interview On IU Football, Mellen...
Jon Wertheim On His ’60 Minute’ Interview On IU Football, Mellencamp’s Fandom, And Hoosier History
Jon Wertheim on His ’60 Minute’ Interview On IU Football, Mellencamp’s Fandom, and Hoosier History
If you caught 60 Minutes this past Sunday, you witnessed a powerful spotlight on what might be the greatest turnaround in college football history.
We’re talking about the Indiana Hoosiers, a program that has completely flipped the script under head coach Curt Cignetti.
Longtime Sports Illustrated reporter and Bloomington native Jon Wertheim stopped by to chat about his deep dive into IU football, and the energy surrounding this team is nothing short of electric.
Wertheim, who grew up seeing Indiana struggle on the gridiron, admits he had to see this transformation with his own eyes.
The vibes in Bloomington have shifted from parking lot tailgates that ended early to a team that demands respect.
Wertheim highlighted his conversations with Coach Cignetti, noting how quickly he changed the culture.
He also spoke about quarterback Fernando Mendoza, describing him as a “super kid” whose underdog journey perfectly mirrors the team’s rise.
Even broadcasting legend Don Fischer weighed in, pointing out that for the first time, IU is winning battles in the trenches which is something rarely seen in decades past.
One of the coolest nuggets?
Rock legend John Mellencamp isn’t just a fair-weather fan.
He’s been suffering through losses since the ’70s.
Wertheim revealed that Mellencamp watches from a private “crow’s nest” above the press box that is essentially a little shack where he can smoke and cheer on his team.
Interestingly, the success of this football squad seems to be healing old wounds left by the Bob Knight era.
As Wertheim put it, Cignetti embodies the best of Knight’s accountability without the chair-throwing.
Speaking of basketball, Wertheim also touched on his recent piece about the legendary undefeated 1976 Hoosiers team, noting how wild it is that their 50th anniversary is currently taking a backseat to football fever.
It’s a new day in Bloomington, and the Hoosiers are giving fans everywhere something to celebrate.
listen to the full interview below.
