Indiana football and Curt Cignetti wouldn’t be where they are today without Fernando Mendoza. The star QB is now one of the biggest personalities in college football and is a frontrunner to win the Heisman as well. But it’s not him alone. His mother is a big reason behind his success, being the anchor he needed. Here’s a look at Elsa Mendoza, who has a big hand in Fernando Mendoza being the star he is today for Indiana football.

Who is Fernando Mendoza’s mother, Elsa Mendoza?

Fernando was born to Elsa Mendoza on October 1, 2003. Before him, she used to be a tennis player for the Miami Hurricanes, where she earned 2 degrees. According to the Palm Beach Post, it was Elsa who taught Fernando how to throw the football. She was, is, and will be the QB’s No. 1 fan.

The Mendoza family, however, was thrown a curveball. Elsa has been battling multiple sclerosis for an extremely long time and is now forced to rely on a wheelchair. Still, she makes it a point to cheer for her son. Elsa, undeterred by her personal woes, made it to the Big Ten Championship game to see Fernando take the Hoosiers to an unbeaten 13-0.

What are Fernando Mendoza’s parents’ nationality and ethnicity?

According to College Football Network, Elsa Mendoza is of Cuban descent. But she grew up in Miami, having completed her education here. She only moved away when she was 25. Eventually, the Mendoza family moved back to Miami when Fernando and his brother, Alberto, were older.

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Fernando’s father, also named Fernando, is a Cuban-American. He has interestingly played with Miami HC Mario Cristobal during their high school days in Columbus, Ohio. But the elder Mendoza moved to medicine and is a pediatric emergency director at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami.

Inside Fernando Mendoza’s relationship with his mother

Fernando and Elsa’s relationship is extremely warm. She continues to be one of the biggest pillars backing him, and the QB still sees her as a source of inspiration. In a letter she wrote to Mendoza for the Players’ Tribune, Elsa reveals that she had been diagnosed with MS nearly two decades ago.

But she hid it from her sons, so that they wouldn’t see her as a burden. But by 2014, things became impossible to remain hidden. Though Elsa is very restricted now, she remains one of Fernando’s biggest motivators.

Elsa has supported Fernando at every point in his career. In the letter, she mentions that the QB himself had asked for his parents to move him to a school that played a pro-style offense. It was a risk, but Elsa and the elder Fernando took it. She also supported him in his recruitment, despite him being rated as a 2-star player.

“[After] a while we basically became each other’s hype man,” Elsa wrote in the letter. “I’d be like, ‘Fernando, you’re going to get a Power 5 offer. I’m telling you.’ And you’d be like, ‘I’m gonna do it, Mami. I’m gonna do it, I know it.'” 

Fernando Mendoza has come a long way since then. He made a name for himself in California, which helped him become the sensation he is today at Indiana. No matter how far he goes, Elsa will remain Fernando’s “best friend” and “inspiration,” he told Hoosiers Connect.

How Fernando Mendoza credits his mother for his success

Fernando Mendoza hasn’t shied away from crediting his mother for his successes. She was a constant supporter of the QB during his California days, when he was struggling to find playing time. He began his debut season at California as a 3rd string quarterback, but fought his way through. Mendoza was still known to be a positive figure in the locker room, something he gave credit to his mother for instilling in him.

“(My mom) keeps on fighting to try to help our family,” he told the Daily Californian in 2023. “[It’s] really motivating to see how she fights every day and still always comes with a positive attitude and a positive mindset. That’s the one thing that I really try to cherish and model after, is I always try to be a positive guy. My mom is super positive. So that’s who I get it from.”

Even now, after having emerged as a finalist for the prestigious Heisman Trophy, Fernando’s feelings hadn’t changed.

“Her happiness, her joy, and determination is what inspires me every single day, and that’s what pushes me,” he told Hoosiers Connect.

How Fernando Mendoza supported his mother

Fernando Mendoza has seen MS slowly overpower his mother from a young age. Naturally, he remains committed to creating awareness about the disease and helping others who are affected by it. He combined his business acumen with his dedication to serve the community by partnering with a restaurant in his Golden Bear days. He created something called the ‘Mendoza Burrito,’ and all sales of the item went to the National MS Society.

The star QB, with his newfound popularity in Indiana, was able to launch a similar scheme. He partnered with BuffaLouie’s and Gables Bagels, launching the ‘Mendoza Bros. Burger’ and the ‘Mendoza Bros. Cubano’ bagel sandwich, respectively. Proceeds went to the National MS Society. Till today, MS has no cure, nor is the source of the disease known. He also sent 4 families dealing with MS on an Adidas shopping spree, worth $10,000.

Now at the precipice of becoming one of the biggest names in the NFL, Elsa couldn’t help but express how rewarding it has been for her to watch him grow.

“[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,” Elsa wrote. “I’m proud of you, not just today, but every day.”