Fernando Mendoza is the starting quarterback for the Indiana Hoosiers and the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner.
The Miami native led Indiana to a 13-0 record, a Big Ten Championship, and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. Behind Mendoza’s historic season is a family story rooted in Cuban heritage, a mother’s battle with multiple sclerosis and a younger brother who convinced him to come to Bloomington.
Here’s what you need to know about Fernando Mendoza’s family:
1. Fernando Mendoza’s Mother, Elsa, Played Tennis in College & Has Been Battling Multiple Sclerosis for Nearly Two Decades
Elsa Mendoza, Fernando’s mother, has been battling multiple sclerosis for nearly two decades. In a letter she wrote to her son for The Players’ Tribune ahead of the Heisman ceremony, Elsa revealed she was diagnosed about 18 years ago but hid it from her sons when they were young.
“You and Alberto were so young, and I was doing fine… and mostly I didn’t want you to worry,” Elsa Mendoza wrote. “It just felt like this impossible thing to place on you guys. On my sweet boys.”
Elsa, a former tennis player at the University of Miami who earned two degrees from the school, wrote that her condition worsened about 10 years ago when she broke her ankle and knee while skiing. Then five years ago, when she contracted COVID-19, “things started to go downhill in a way where there was no more hiding it.”
In the letter, Elsa joked that she had actually hoped Fernando would take up tennis. She taught him to throw using a serve drill from her college days. “Step and throw, step and throw,” she recalled telling Fernando and Alberto as kids. “And now of course every quarterback coach jokes with me, ‘That’s the WORST thing you could have told them.’ But you made it work.”
Fernando Mendoza has spoken openly about how his mother’s fight with MS gives him perspective. “My family means everything to me and my mom always gives me that optimistic approach,” Fernando said on The Pat McAfee Show. “I see her fighting every single day and I know there’s no excuse to ever have a bad day.”
2. Fernando Mendoza’s Father, Fernando Sr., Is a Pediatric Emergency Director Who Played High School Football With Miami Coach Mario Cristobal
Fernando Mendoza Sr. is the pediatric emergency director at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami, according to Indiana Athletics. Before attending Brown University, where he rowed crew, Fernando Sr. played football at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami alongside current Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal.
“There’s obviously a backstory there: I’ve known the Mendoza family. I played with the dad as high school teammates,” Cristobal told reporters in October 2024 before Miami played Cal.
Fernando Mendoza has spoken about how his father’s career handling life-and-death situations in the emergency room taught him to stay calm under pressure. After the Big Ten Championship win over Ohio State, Fernando Mendoza Sr. spoke to CBS Sports, deflecting Heisman talk and insisting any accolades were a reflection of the team’s collective effort.
At Christopher Columbus High School in Miami after Fernando won the Heisman, CBS News Miami spoke to Fernando’s father, who said he was proud of his son for the way he represented his family and the community, calling it a testament to his son’s work and discipline.
3. All 4 of Fernando Mendoza’s Grandparents Immigrated From Cuba & He Organized a Service Trip There With His Grandfather
Fernando Mendoza is of Cuban descent, with all four of his grandparents born and raised in Cuba. Three came from Havana and one from Santiago.
Fernando Mendoza organized a Cuban Relief Service trip with his grandfather, Alberto Espino, to give back to their native community, locals, and family members, according to his Indiana Athletics bio.
In an interview with NBC Sports’ Nicole Auerbach, Fernando discussed what the trip meant to him and his brother Alberto. “My grandfather and Alberto and I, we went back, we saw some cousins who had ended up staying in Cuba, and just saw the community as a whole, and it was a very transformative experience,” Fernando said. “It really showed my brother and me how grateful we are for the opportunity that our grandparents took.”
Fernando Mendoza Sr. told The Athletic the trip showed the brothers “what just 90 miles and different government ideologies can make.”
Fernando has cited his Cuban heritage as a major factor in his motivation. At the end of his Heisman acceptance speech, Fernando addressed his grandparents in Spanish: “Por el amor y el sacrificio de mis padres y abuelos, los quiero mucho. Desde todo mi corazón les doy las gracias” — “For the love and sacrifice of my parents and grandparents, I love you a lot. From all my heart, I thank you.”
4. Fernando Mendoza’s Younger Brother Alberto Is Indiana’s Backup Quarterback & Convinced Him to Transfer to Bloomington
Alberto Mendoza is Fernando’s younger brother and the backup quarterback at Indiana. Alberto played at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami like his older brother, throwing for 4,596 yards and 57 touchdowns in his career while leading the team to back-to-back Florida state championships, according to Indiana Athletics.
Alberto originally committed to play for Curt Cignetti at James Madison. When Cignetti moved to Indiana, Alberto followed him. After Fernando entered the transfer portal from Cal in December 2024, it was Alberto who convinced his older brother to join him in Bloomington.
“I think having my little brother there, who’s my best friend and the person who pushes me the hardest, it was great to have that,” Fernando told the Indianapolis Star.
In a game against Kennesaw State during the 2025 season, both brothers threw touchdown passes — making them the first set of brothers to throw TDs in the same game for the same FBS team since Brady and Austin Allen at Arkansas in 2015, according to Indiana Athletics.
“People don’t get to see the success of practice, and being honest, him basically outperforming me on all of his practices,” Fernando said in November. “It’s great to see his development and to see how far he’s come. And I see what a great quarterback he’s going to be for Indiana.”
5. Fernando Has Raised Tens of Thousands of Dollars for MS Research & Dedicated His Heisman to His Mother
Fernando and Alberto Mendoza have used their platform to raise awareness and funds for multiple sclerosis research. While at Cal, Fernando partnered with La Burrita in Berkeley to create the “Mendoza Burrito,” with proceeds going to the National MS Society. He told The Daily Californian at the time: “Whether one person buys the burrito or 100 people buy the burrito, I’m really just happy that we’re able to spread MS awareness.”
After transferring to Indiana, the brothers expanded the effort, partnering with BuffaLouie’s in Bloomington to create the “Mendoza Bros. Burger” and with Gables Bagels to launch the “Mendoza Bros. Cubano” bagel sandwich, with proceeds going to the National MS Society. Herald-Times beat reporter Michael Niziolek reported the brothers had raised more than $66,000 through their personal fundraising campaign.
Before accepting the Heisman Trophy, Fernando partnered with Adidas to provide a shopping spree for four families affected by multiple sclerosis, with each family receiving $10,000 to purchase Adidas products, according to Niziolek.
When Fernando Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy on December 13, 2025, becoming Indiana’s first-ever winner, he dedicated the award to his mother. “Mami, this is your trophy as much as it is mine,” Fernando said in his acceptance speech, fighting back tears. “You’ve always been my biggest fan. You’re my light, you’re my why, you’re my biggest supporter.”
“You taught me that toughness doesn’t need to be loud, it can be quiet and strong,” Fernando continued. “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.”
After the Big Ten Championship win over Ohio State, Fernando reflected on his mother making the trip from Miami. “It means a ton to see all my family members travel out from Miami not knowing what the outcome’s going to be, especially in an adverse situation,” Fernando told CBS Sports. “My mom, coming from Miami, making the tough trip over here to Indianapolis, always battling, struggling to go see my games. And my love for her is unconditional.”
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