Indiana – For Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza, motivation does not come from headlines, trophies, or draft projections. It comes from home. More specifically, it comes from watching his mother, Elsa Mendoza, face a long and relentless battle with multiple sclerosis and refuse to let it define her or her family. As Indiana prepares for its final and biggest test of the season, Mendoza is opening up about the personal story that fuels his focus as much as any playbook ever could.
Ahead of the national championship game, set in his hometown of Miami, Mendoza spoke candidly about the woman who has shaped his mindset long before football entered the picture. Playing on the biggest stage, in front of friends and family, carries extra weight, but seeing his mother in the stands gives it deeper meaning.
“My mother is my light, my inspiration,” said Fernando when asked about his feelings about playing in front of his mother in his hometown of Miami in the Big Ten Football interview. “If I have a bad lift, a bad practice, I see her the way that she fights. Football players and athletes always talk about who is their why. And my mom is my why.”
Elsa Mendoza’s journey with multiple sclerosis began nearly 18 years ago. The disease, which attacks the brain and spinal cord, gradually disrupts movement and muscle control through stiffness and painful spasms. Over time, the damage to her central nervous system has left her confined to a wheelchair. For Fernando, those realities were never abstract. They unfolded in real time as he grew from a child tossing a football into one of college football’s brightest stars.
The challenge may have been even harder for Elsa because of her own athletic background. A former tennis player at the University of Miami, she understood competition, discipline, and physical freedom. Losing mobility was not just a medical loss, but an emotional one. Still, she rarely let that struggle surface in ways that burdened her children.
The first visible turning point came nearly a decade ago, when a skiing accident resulted in a broken ankle and a knee injury. While she recovered, the underlying condition continued to progress. About five years ago, after she was diagnosed with COVID-19, her health took a sharper downturn, accelerating the effects of the disease.
Despite that, Elsa made a deliberate choice not to allow her illness to become the center of Fernando’s world. Instead, she emphasized encouragement, accountability, and love. That approach shaped how Mendoza views adversity today, not as something to fear, but something to meet head-on.
“You’re a teammate at heart,” wrote Elsa to Fernando in The Players’ Tribune. “I’ve been lucky enough to know that for a much longer time than most people. And not just because I’m your mom. But because I feel like I was your very first teammate.”
That sense of teamwork extends beyond emotion and into action. Fernando and his younger brother Alberto Mendoza, a redshirt freshman for the Hoosiers, launched a fundraising initiative called “Mendoza Brothers’ Fight Against MS.” The goal was ambitious: to raise $175,000 for MS research and awareness. As of now, the brothers have already raised $154,002.13, drawing support from teammates, fans, and the wider Bloomington community.
Local businesses have stepped in to amplify the effort. BuffaLouie’s and Gable’s Bagels have both introduced special “Mendoza Bros.” menu items, donating proceeds to the National MS Society. The campaign has become a visible part of Indiana football culture, blending athletic success with a cause that resonates far beyond the field.
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Mendoza’s commitment to fundraising began even earlier, during his time at California. There, he launched a personal campaign tied to his heritage by introducing the “Mendoza Burrito” at La Burrita in Berkeley. The gesture honored his Cuban roots while continuing to push awareness and funding for MS research.
On the field, Mendoza has already achieved what many players only dream of. Earlier this season, he brought home college football’s most prestigious individual honor, the Heisman Trophy. For his mother, it was a moment of pride that went far beyond statistics. Still, for Fernando, the award was never the end goal.
Earlier in the fall, Mendoza made it clear that while a Heisman would be “great and all,” his true aim was winning a national championship. When head coach Curt Cignetti met with him to acknowledge his rise as a frontrunner for the award, Mendoza stayed grounded.
“Let’s keep the main thing the main thing, and that is to win football games,” said the quarterback.
That mindset now defines the final chapter of his college career. Indiana’s matchup against the Miami Hurricanes is more than a title game. It is a homecoming. Mendoza will take the field just a short drive from Christopher Columbus High School, where his football journey first began. Friends, family, and familiar faces will fill the stands, including the person who has meant the most throughout it all.
While the setting is special, Mendoza understands what is at stake. This national championship represents his final opportunity to play college football for his mother before moving on to the professional level. The moment carries urgency, gratitude, and a quiet sense of purpose.
His story also mirrors that of other quarterbacks navigating personal hardship, including Oregon’s Dante Moore, who drew strength from his mother Jera Moore’s breast cancer diagnosis during his freshman year at UCLA. For Mendoza, those shared experiences reinforce a larger truth about the sport, that behind every helmet is a human story shaped by family, sacrifice, and resilience.
As kickoff approaches, Fernando Mendoza’s focus remains steady. Awards, praise, and expectations fade into the background. What remains is a son honoring his mother’s strength, a quarterback leading his team, and a family cause that has grown bigger than football itself.
