Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza helped deliver a Big Ten championship, earned a trip to New York, and ultimately walked away with the Heisman Trophy. For a program that has rarely occupied the sport’s biggest stages, he became the face of something historic. Yet when the moment arrived Saturday night, his focus went home. More specifically, to his mother, Elsa Mendoza.

What health condition has Fernando Mendoza’s mother been diagnosed with? 

Elsa Mendoza, a former women’s tennis player at the University of Miami, has been living with multiple sclerosis for nearly two decades. In a letter published on The Players’ Tribune, she revealed she was diagnosed approximately 18 years ago. At the time, she chose not to share the news with her sons, believing she was managing the condition well enough to protect them from worry.

“I was doing fine,” she wrote. “And mostly I didn’t want you to worry.” 

For years, Elsa masked the progression of her illness, even as physical limitations began to surface. The first visible shift came roughly 10 years ago, after she suffered a broken ankle and a knee injury while skiing. Even then, she told her sons that her leg had not healed properly, accounting for the limp they noticed. The reality was more complex.

Multiple sclerosis, a disease affecting the central nervous system, had already begun altering her mobility. The tipping point came five years ago, when she contracted COVID-19. According to Elsa, that illness accelerated the progression of her condition and removed any remaining ability to hide it.

Travel became increasingly difficult during football season. Eventually, the inability to keep up with the demands of her sons’ schedules forced a difficult but necessary conversation. That moment marked the first time her sons fully understood what their mother had been managing quietly for years and why things were changing.

Has Fernando Mendoza spoken publicly about his mother’s illness?

Fernando Mendoza has never avoided the topic. In fact, he routinely describes his mother as his best friend, his closest confidante, and his primary source of motivation. Speaking to the IndyStar, part of the USA TODAY Network, the 22-year-old was blunt about the impact her resilience has had on him.

“Our mom is our inspiration,” he said. “Our light, and gives us positivity every single day. She’s my idol.” 

He has repeated that sentiment across platforms, often adding that watching her fight leaves him with “no excuse” to take any opportunity for granted.

In an interview with Hoosiers Connect, Indiana’s NIL collective, Fernando Mendoza acknowledged the current reality of her condition. He said she has difficulty moving around and relies on assistance. She attended the Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in a wheelchair, a moment that underscored both her limitations and her commitment to being present.

“At this point, she has a tough time moving around,” he said. “But her happiness, her joy, and her determination is what inspires me every single day, and that’s what pushes me.” 

How has his mother’s health affected Fernando Mendoza’s life and career? 

As Elsa’s condition has progressed, Fernando Mendoza has learned to separate performance from perspective. He has said repeatedly that her joy matters more than her physical limitations. He added that during workouts, when fatigue sets in, thoughts of his mother’s daily effort immediately recalibrate his own mindset. That belief followed him through Indiana’s championship run and into the Heisman spotlight. 

In her Players’ Tribune letter, written shortly before the ceremony, Elsa explained why she is proud of her son in ways unrelated to football. She focused on how he responded once he knew the truth. 

“You’ve never once looked away,” she wrote. “You’ve never once treated me like I’m embarrassing or deficient.”

She added that even as her condition has worsened, Fernando Mendoza has made her feel whole and like herself. That compatibility may be the most revealing part of the QB’s life. And he delivered it.

Fernando Mendoza became the Hoosiers’ first Heisman Trophy winner, earning 2,392 first-place votes. He beat Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia, Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love, and Ohio State QB Julian Sayin. He threw for 2,980 yards, led the nation with 33 touchdown passes, and added six rushing scores. Indiana, the last unbeaten team in major college football, will play its College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl on January 1.