Instead of walking across the main stage in Pittsburgh, where the draft was held, the former Indiana QB chose to stay home in Miami to experience the moment directly next to his mother. After the Raiders selected Fernando Mendoza as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday, during the celebration of that success, his mother delivered a touching speech.

“Thank you so much for coming tonight,” said Elsa Mendoza in front of a crowd of family and friends. “This means the world to us. This is so important to us, and you all have played such an important role. This is such a memorable night, and I’m so proud of you (Fernando).”

“I am so proud of not all the successes; you make me so proud—your kindness, your humility, your faith. I mean, I just can’t say enough. There is so much you have yet to do, but you have done so much, and I am so proud of you. I’m just so proud to be your mom, and I’m so proud. This is so well deserved. I love you. I’m proud of you.”

While sharing this message, not only did Elsa become emotional, but Fernando later admitted to reporters that hearing his mother say those specific words in that exact moment completely “broke” him and brought him to tears. She then wrapped up her speech by giving a meaningful mention to Mendoza’s new team, stating, “Go Raiders.”

At 12, Fernando knew about his mother’s multiple sclerosis. At that time, he took over household duties as a leader, along with taking care of his mother and two siblings. Despite all that, his passion for football never fades. Last season, he not only led the Hoosiers to a historic season with their first-ever national title win but also led them to the B1G title and won a Heisman Trophy.

All that became possible because he was obsessed with self-improvement after seeing his mother’s optimism despite a diagnosis with 8 rounds of chemotherapy and then five years of follow-up to ensure the treatment was working correctly.

“It doesn’t allow me to have an excuse to have a bad day, bad practice, bad game. Because I see her there fighting. It inspires me,” said Fernando. “And it gives me this unwavering optimism where, no matter what happens, whatever resilient bump in the road happens, instead of falling down, I’m going to catapult off that and get better.”

Elsa also detailed how Fernando’s affection protects her through her declining health, stating that no matter how hard things get, the QB makes her feel like she is “still that same mom.” Besides this, she has continuously showered her son with beautiful, emotional public messages throughout his rise to football stardom.

In a deeply personal letter published via The Players’ Tribune, Elsa expressed her immense gratitude to Fernando, writing, “Your accomplishments will NEVER impact how proud of you I am. Because you are already everything I could have hoped for as a mother, and that has nothing to do with the miles you throw or the touchdowns you score. It has everything to do with the man you’ve grown into.”

The adoration is entirely mutual. Just hours before hearing his name called by the Raiders, the Heisman winner made a statement far bigger than football.

Fernando Mendoza opens up about his mother’s contribution

Hours before being selected by the Raiders, Fernando Mendoza made a statement far bigger than football, pledging $500,000 toward MS research and launching the Mendoza Family Fund with the National MS Society. However, the cause is deeply personal.

His mother, who lives with MS and is confined to a wheelchair, has long been the force behind his drive. “She is my why,” said the Heisman winner. These four words say everything about the foundation of his journey.

But her resilience stood out. During her initial stage diagnosis around 2007, she didn’t tell her children about her disease to avoid causing panic. But after contracting COVID-19, her health declined, and the QB took responsibility.

“I believe one of my pillars and my identities is giving back and fighting MS,” stated the QB. “I see her there fighting. She taught me to have unwavering optimism. And fortune favors the bold. And you have to have unwavering optimism to achieve those goals.”

Now heading to Las Vegas, Fernando is ready to make his mom even prouder.