Who is Fernando Mendoza’s mom? Viral Indiana quarterback and Heisman trophy contender’s mom faced devastating diagnosis

Indiana University Hoosiers’ star quarterback Fernando Mendoza has made it to the Heisman Trophy shortlist after the Hoosiers’ historic win against the Ohio State University on December 6. As moments from Mendoza’s post match interview went viral, netizens also paid attention to the quarterback’s mom, who had been supporting him from the sidelines.

Fernando Mendoza’s mom is Elsa Mendoza. Elsa used to play tennis at University of Miami. In 2014, Elsa was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to Red 94.

Just as Elsa has always been a supportive influence in Mendoza’s life, her son has also supported his mother through her MS diagnosis by leading efforts to raise funds and to increase awareness about the disease.

𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚: Indiana superstar QB Fernando Mendoza's post-game interview has gone viral 😭😭

One of the greatest interviews you will ever see.pic.twitter.com/1Gcp3AE7XU

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 7, 2025

About Elsa Mendoza’s influence on Fernando Mendoza

In 2024, Fernando Mendoza, who used to play football at the University of California, Berkeley earlier, went into a collaboration with La Burrita, a food outlet in in Berkeley, to release a ‘Mendoza Burrito,’ to help spread awareness about MS, the disease his mother Elsa Mendoza suffers from, as per The Daily Californian.

The news publication reported that fund generated from the sale of the burrito would also go to the National MS Society.

At the time, Mendoza spoke to The Daily Californian about his happiness at getting an opportunity to spread awareness about MS, and said,

“Whether one person buys the burrito or 100 people buy the burrito, I’m really just happy that we’re able to spread MS awareness…I’m trying to set a precedent that these deals can have a positive connotation and positive tell. And hopefully it motivates some other student athletes to do the same.”

Mendoza also candidly spoke about the impact of his mother on his sporting career. He told the news outlet,

“My mom really gave me the confidence to pursue my dreams and gave me love and unconditional support.”

After his time at Berkeley, when Mendoza transferred to Indiana, he came up with a similar collaboration to kickstart conversation around MS in Bloomington. As per Fox Sports, he collaborated with BuffaLouie's at The Gables to come up with a burger for their menu to generate awareness about the disease.

Speaking to Fox Sports about the collaboration and his mother’s influence on his life, Mendoza said,

“It gives awareness, and we're really proud of it. She’s invested so much time and love into us, and it's only right that I'm able to give back to her and my family one day.”

At the time, Mendoza gave further insights into how his mother Elsa is able to maintain a positive attitude in the face of extreme challenges. He added,

“She battles it every single day, and she is my light and inspiration because no matter what, no matter how hard it gets, she always maintains this unwavering positivity and influence in our lives. She’s my example of always having that positivity and always having the optimistic approach.”

Beyond his personal life, Elsa’s influence also extends to Mendoza’s football career. As per Fox Sports, the young quarterback added,

“If I have a bad game or a bad practice, I'm not going to go out there and pout because I see how hard she's fighting and how hard she always maintains the optimistic approach.”

It is clear that Elsa Mendoza, despite her MS diagnosis, motivates her family to pursue their dreams. Alongside Fernando Mendoza, his brother Alberto Mendoza also plays for the Hoosiers, as per Distractify.