QB Hugs Mom After Leading Indiana to First Title

The moment Fernando Mendoza spotted his mom on the field, the tears started flowing.

Just minutes after leading the Indiana Hoosiers to a historic 27-21 victory over the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff National Championship, the 22-year-old quarterback rushed to embrace his mom, Elsa. She sat in her wheelchair, beaming with pride as her son leaned down to speak with her before wrapping her in a big hug.

Elsa has lived with multiple sclerosis for nearly two decades. Despite her health challenges, she made the trip to Miami to watch her son make history on January 19.

"Every hug with him is so special because I know how bad he wanted it and how hard he worked to get here," Elsa told The Sporting Tribune after the game. "That hug means the world."

Fernando then turned to his father, also named Fernando, for another emotional embrace. His brother Alberto, who serves as Indiana's backup quarterback, joined the celebration as the family savored a moment years in the making.

The victory marked Indiana's first-ever national championship and capped a perfect 16-0 season. Just two years earlier, the Hoosiers went 3-9, holding the dubious distinction of being one of the worst teams in college football history with the most losing seasons of any program.

Why This Inspires

Coach Curt Cignetti transformed the program in just two years, proving that no challenge is too big to overcome. "We won the national championship at Indiana University," he said after the game. "It can be done."

For Fernando, the championship represents more than athletic achievement. In December, he told PEOPLE that his mom is his reason "why," one week before winning the 2025 Heisman Trophy.

"It's so overwhelming," Elsa said through happy tears. "I don't even know what I'm feeling."

The Mendoza family's story shows that the sweetest victories are the ones we share with the people who believed in us from the start.