Fernando Mendoza leads Indiana to its first national title and wins the Heisman trophy. This is a headline that undefeated Indiana fans would have in their mind as their hero leads under center, wearing that #15. However, off the field, too, Mendoza has been doing some heroic things. He’s raising awareness about an incurable disease and helping hundreds in the process.

Mendoza, along with his brother, has launched his campaign to help raise funds for the National MS Society. It’s an endeavor that is deeply personal to Mendoza as his mother lives with Multiple Sclerosis, an autoimmune disease. “My name is Fernando Mendoza, and I am the quarterback for the Indiana Hoosiers. My goal, a world free of MS,” read the campaign’s message, penned by Fernando himself.

Earlier, the QB had expected to raise $20,000 for the initiative. Considering the widespread support his campaign has received, he has already raised $25,820. But Mendoza is going one step ahead and has now pushed the goal further to raise a whopping $50,000 for the humanitarian initiative. The Indiana QB posted an Instagram story, requesting his followers to donate to the same. The Indiana QB credits his mother for taking up the incredible initiative.

“My mom means the world to me, she’s the most caring and positive person I know and I’ll keep doing everything I can to support her and others living with MS! Nearly 1 million people in the U.S. live with this unpredictable and often disabling disease, and while progress has been made, there’s still so much more to do,” read Mendoza’s message. Apart from raising funds through the drive, Fernando has also looked through other channels to fund the campaign.

When the QB was at Cal, he had launched the ‘Mendoza Burrito’ at La Burrita in Berkley. It was inspired by the QB’s Cuban heritage, and proceeds from the initiative went to fighting the disease. Even in Bloomington, the QB is doing the same. The 22-year-old has partnered with two local restaurants, which would serve ‘Mendoza Bros. Burgers’ and ‘Mendoza Bros. Cubano’ sandwiches. And all the revenue generated from it would directly fund his fight against MS. It’s an inspiring task, which has potential for others to do the same.

Fernando Mendoza’s multifaceted relationship with his mother

The Indiana QB grew up with his parents, Dr. Fernando Mendoza Sr, a pediatric director at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, and his mother, Elsa. He also has his younger brother, Alberto Mendoza, a backup QB for Indiana, and they have both played in the same Christopher Columbus High School in Miami. But he always had a vibrant family, a dedicated mother, and also the one who taught him to throw football. Going through her diagnosis wasn’t easy, but Fernando always gave his 100 percent in taking care of her.

“Our mom was always my inspiration in life from a young age. She’s the one who taught me to throw a football…Whether it was in high school,” said Fernando. Even in his recruitment, Fernando’s mother played a pivotal role in guiding him and making him believe in his abilities. “[She’d say], ‘Don’t worry, your first offer is going to come.’ Then, it was Yale, and that was one of the best days of my life. Then, after that, she’s like, ‘You’re going to get a Power Four offer,” said the Indiana QB.

The offers came rolling gradually, and Fernando went to Cal, redshirting in his first year. At Cal, his mother didn’t stop giving him footballing advice, though. But this time it wasn’t advice, but a motherly prediction. “When I first got to Cal, she was like, ‘You’re going to do great. You’re going to help turn that program around,” said Mendoza. Like his mother predicted, her advice worked like a charm. Mendoza at Cal passed for 3,004 yards and rushed for 105. For Cal, too, it was a decent showing.

The 2024 season marked the Golden Bears’ first in the ACC, and the team finished with a 6-7 record, also qualifying for a bowl game. In a sense, that gave the program stability and a recruiting pipeline after Mendoza’s success in the ACC. For Mendoza, though, all of it is important, but he follows his mom’s journey and battle with MS as an example to channel his inner beast on the field.

“She has always been a positive light and inspiration, before and after MS. To see her maintain that positivity and light through what she’s been struggling with, it’s never given me an excuse to have a bad day,” said Mendoza. No wonder Mendoza hasn’t stepped a foot wrong so far for Indiana in the 2025 season. The QB already has passed for 2,641 yards for 30 touchdowns at an impressive 73% accuracy. Never mind his 216 rushing yards for 5 TDs make him an all-around threat and a potential overall 1st pick in the 2026 NFL draft. All of that surely won’t be possible without his mother’s guidance and resiliency, and that should inspire us all.