Fernando Mendoza’s rise to the Heisman trophy conversation is one of the biggest stories of this season. The pride does not end with Mendoza and Bloomington, as he has framed his career not only for himself, but for his family and the Cuban community that raised him in South Florida. Let’s take a deep dive to learn about Fernando Mendoza’s family roots and background, which he represents.

Where is Fernando Mendoza from, and what is Fernando Mendoza’s nationality?

The Indiana quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, is 22 years old, born on October 1, 2003, and grew up in Miami, Florida. He attended Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, which has a predominantly Hispanic and Latino student body. He played as a backup quarterback as a part of Columbus’s 2019 FHSAA Class 8A state championship team.

He went on to start for his school in 2020 and 2021, earning All-Miami-Dade County honors and ranking No. 14 in the country as a junior. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to opt out of the playoffs.

Graduating from high school, he was a three-star prospect, ranked 134th QB in the country and 288th overall prospect of the 2022 class. He initially committed to Yale but flipped his commitment to join the California Golden Bears. After his lone season, he entered the transfer portal and joined the Indiana Hoosiers, reuniting with his brother Alberto Mendoza.

He went on to win the first-ever Big Ten Championship for the Hoosiers.

What is Fernando Mendoza’s ethnicity?

Fernando Mendoza is of Cuban heritage, being the grandson of Cuban immigrants, making him one of two Latino or Hispanic Heisman favorites (alongside Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia). Mendoza himself has been outspoken about his roots.

“All my grandparents were born and raised in Cuba, three in Havana, one in Santiago,” said Fernando Mendoza in an interview. “So I’m extremely grateful for all the hardship that they’ve been through coming over and the whole part of being an immigrant, starting from the ground up and really laying a foundation.”

With all of his grandparents coming as immigrants from Cuba, Mendoza was able to fully understand his Cuban roots and embrace them to the fullest, especially with his grandfather heavily advocating the Cuban culture. He is of the Catholic faith and incorporates it as part of his game-day routine. He coordinates team Bible studies, crediting them for building camaraderie among the teammates.

“We always do team Bible study, and so having really that camaraderie with the guys instead of just being teammates, it’s different, because you really are brothers, so whenever,” Mendoza said.

Is Fernando Mendoza Cuban?

While Mendoza was raised in the U.S., he embraces his Cuban heritage as a significant factor in his and his brother’s passion for football players. 

“Alberto and I play football not for ourselves, not for fulfillment and satisfaction of ourselves,” Mendoza said in an interview with Peegs. “We have a lot of whys why we do it. One of the whys is our mom. Our entire family comes from a Cuban background. All of our grandparents were born and raised in Cuba, and that’s something we always take deeply to heart.”

Mendoza took a trip to Cuba with his brother and grandfather to visit his cousins and had a transformative experience. At that point, he realized how grateful they were for the opportunity that their grandparents had taken. That’s why he always takes pride in his Cuban heritage. “It’s a huge point of pride,” Mendoza said.