Elsa Mendoza is the mother of Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, who is leading Indiana football in the Rose Bowl against Alabama on New Year’s Day 2026.
She suffers from multiple sclerosis, which damages the central nervous system, and she uses a wheelchair. Fernando and Alberto Mendoza, brothers and IU quarterbacks, raise money to fight the disease.
Elsa Mendoza, who played tennis at the University of Miami, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis about 18 years ago and her disease exacerbated about five years ago, when she was diagnosed with COVID-19.
Elsa Mendoza wrote a letter to her son in The Players’ Tribune that was published the week leading up to the Heisman Trophy presentation.
“You’re a teammate at heart. 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.
“… (M)aybe this is silly to say about a newborn, but to me you were more like my buddy. And it’s like we were each dealing with our own exciting/scary new thing. And the way we got through it was together.”
Here is the full letter.
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Fernando Mendoza paid tribute to his mother while accepting the Heisman Trophy on Dec. 13.
“Mommy, this is your trophy as much as it is mine,” he said. “You’ve always been my biggest fan. You’re my life. You’re my why. You’ve always been my biggest supporter. Your sacrifices, courage, love, my first playbook, my playbook I’m going to carry through my side my entire life.
“You taught me that toughness doesn’t need to be loud. It can be quiet and strong. It’s choosing hope. It’s believing in yourself when the world doesn’t give you much reason to. Together, you and I are rewriting what people think is possible. I love you.”
Fernando Mendoza was born in Boston and raised in Miami. Both sets of his grandparents were from Cuba and emigrated to the Miami area.
Fernando and Alberto Mendoza are brothers and quarterbacks for Indiana football. Fernando is the Hoosiers’ starter and Alberto his primary backup. Fernando is older than Alberto.
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