QB Fernando Mendoza Wins Title, Honors Mom With MS

When Fernando Mendoza led Indiana University to its first national championship on Monday night, the star quarterback made sure his first celebration was with the woman who called herself his "very first teammate."

Moments after the thrilling 27-21 victory over Miami, video captured Mendoza sharing a tearful embrace with both parents on the field. The emotional scene reflected a bond that has defined his remarkable rise to college football's biggest stage.

His mother, Elsa Mendoza, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 18 years ago and now uses a wheelchair. She's been a constant presence at her son's games, watching him grow from the baby she raised mostly alone in Boston to a Heisman Trophy winner and now national champion.

In a December essay for the Players Tribune, Elsa described young Fernando as her "buddy" during those early years when his father worked long hours. "Maybe this is silly to say about a newborn, but to me you were more like my buddy," she wrote, recalling their days watching TV, playing music, and going to the park together.

At his Heisman ceremony, Fernando dedicated the trophy to his mother. "This is your trophy as much as it is mine," he said, calling her courage and sacrifices his "first playbook."

The quarterback's father, Dr. Fernando Mendoza, is a pediatric emergency medical director at two Miami hospitals and also attended the same high school as his son. The family has fundraised for MS research multiple times, turning personal struggle into community action.

Fernando's support system extends to his two younger brothers. Alberto, also a quarterback at Indiana, backed up his older brother throughout the championship season before entering the transfer portal. Max, the youngest Mendoza, received a shoutout during the Heisman speech for bringing "infectious joy" to everyone around him.

Why This Inspires

The Mendoza family shows how strength flows both ways. While Elsa supported her son through every practice and game, Fernando has given back by making her feel "seen" rather than embarrassed by her wheelchair, she wrote. Their public celebration of each other reminds us that behind every champion stands a team of people who believed first.

The family's decision to fundraise for MS research turns their private challenge into hope for others facing the same diagnosis.

Together, they prove that life's toughest opponents can become our greatest motivators.