While the Indiana Hoosiers’ steady quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, is fully focused on the field, off of it, he was battling the worry of his mother’s life-threatening condition. Fernando has now broken his silence on the struggle behind the smile.

“With all challenges, there’s always an opportunity,” said Fernando Mendoza as he discussed the upcoming Heisman Trophy night on December 9. “There’s a great opportunity that presented itself was to play with my brother here.”

Fernando is the big brother to Alberto Mendoza, now a redshirt freshman for the Hoosiers. The Miami natives came up together at Christopher Columbus High School before taking their talents to the Big Ten.

Fernando also admitted that he decided to transfer because he had the opportunity to reunite with his brother. Alberto redshirted in 2024 after originally committing to Curt Cignetti at James Madison.

“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, to see his perspective on the coaching staff, the culture,” Fernando shared after transferring to Cignetti’s squad.

The Mendoza brothers’ reunion has doubled as a huge relief for the family. Fernando admitted in his latest presser that juggling cross-country trips between the California Golden Bears and Indiana had taken a real toll on his loved ones, especially their mother, and best friend, Elsa Mendoza.

She was also an avid athlete and played tennis at the University of Miami. But things turned topsy-turvy for the Mendoza family in 2014. Elsa was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. His mother’s battle only drives Fernando forward. Back at Cal, he teamed up with Burrita to roll out the “Mendoza Burrito,” using his platform to spotlight her condition. 

The Daily Californian noted that a portion of every sale went to the National MS Society, turning a campus favorite into a cause with real impact. In Indiana, Fernando has not forgotten his bigger purpose in life, other than being a good quarterback. 

Mendoza and his brother have turned their platform into a mission, kicking off a campaign together to fuel fundraising for the National MS Society.

“My name is Fernando Mendoza, and I am the quarterback for the Indiana Hoosiers. My goal, a world free of MS.” The message of the campaign is enough to show what the campaign means for the 22-year-old.

The quarterback originally aimed to raise $20,000, but with overwhelming support pouring in, he hit $25,820. After that Fernando doubled down, upping the target to an ambitious $50,000 for the cause. 

Indiana snapped a drought dating back to 1945, claiming the Big Ten crown and the No. 1 CFP seed. What a night for Elsa, who flew in from Miami to watch it unfold. Fernando had delivered a steady line, 15-of-23 passes for a total of 222 yards, a touchdown, and one pick against the nation’s top defense. However, there’s still one more gift he hopes to give his mom.

Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman dreams are within reach

Just 48 hours after steering Indiana to its first Big Ten crown in 58 years, Fernando Mendoza received another monumental honor. On Monday, December 8, he was officially named a Heisman Trophy finalist. The others in the race are Vanderbilt Commodores’ Diego Pavia, Notre Dame Fighting Irish’s Jeremiyah Love, and Ohio State Buckeyes’ Julian Sayin.

“Mendoza, because of what he did tonight against Ohio State, who was the best team in the country on a big-time stage in the moment,” David Pollack said on the See Ball Get Ball Podcast, was already envisioning Fernando Mendoza lifting up the bronze trophy. “I think my dude just won a Heisman Trophy.”

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Fernando now joins a rare company in Bloomington. He becomes just the second Hoosier ever to reach the Heisman finals, standing alongside 1989 runner-up Anthony Thompson. Indiana’s Heisman history is a short but proud one. 

It features only a handful of top-10 finishers, including Bill Hillenbrand (1942), Vaughn Dunbar (1991), Antwaan Randle El (2001), Tevin Coleman (2014), and Kurtis Rourke (2024). Now Fernando Mendoza is a part of the elite roster.

The Indiana Hoosiers quarterback sits atop the nation with 33 passing touchdowns and leads all Power 4 quarterbacks with 39 total scores. He’s also in rare Big Ten air, becoming just the third conference QB since 2000 to record three straight games with at least four touchdown passes and zero interceptions. The others are C.J. Stroud and Kyle Orton. Can Fernando Mendoza capture the Heisman trophy? Share your thoughts in the comments below.