Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has spent the 2025 season turning heads on the field. Off it, the most powerful play came from his mom, Elsa Mendoza — and a letter that left him, in his own words, “bawling his eyes out.”
At the heart of the recent news around “Fernando Mendoza mom” is a deeply personal story: a mother’s decades-long fight with multiple sclerosis, a son’s rise to the top of college football, and a fanbase rallying to raise tens of thousands of dollars in her honor.
A Letter That Broke the Internet – And Her Son
Earlier this week,
The Players’ Tribune published
“Dear Fernando,” a first-person letter from Elsa to her son, recounting their relationship, her illness, and what his journey has meant to her.
In New York, ahead of college football’s biggest individual awards, Mendoza told reporters he read the piece before it went live — and completely lost it.
> He said he was
“bawling his eyes” out and spent “an hour or two hours reflecting on the letter,” calling it “one of the most beautiful pieces I’ve ever read.”
Mendoza described the bond with his mom as uniquely close:
“We are buddies for life.” The letter, he said, captured exactly how much she means to him and why her fight defines his outlook.
Inside Elsa’s Secret Battle With Multiple Sclerosis
In the Players’ Tribune essay, Elsa finally tells the full story of her
two-decade battle with multiple sclerosis (MS) — a chronic, degenerative disease that affects the brain and spinal cord.
For years, she tried to shield Fernando and his brother from the truth:
- She initially explained away her limp as a leg injury that hadn’t healed.
- The real turning point came about
five years ago, when she got Covid and realized she could no longer travel easily to his games.
She feared Fernando might think her absence meant she wasn’t supporting him anymore. That pushed her to sit her sons down and tell them the truth:
>
“Your mom has this degenerative disease … and while we don’t know how it will progress, it’s going to start to affect us in a few ways. But it won’t affect us in the ways that matter.”The conversation was brutal. Elsa writes about pushing back when Fernando worried he needed to take care of her:
>
“Oh my God. I’m your mom!!! You’re my kids!!! I’m not YOUR responsibility, you’re MINE!!!”But she also admits it will “never be easy” — and that her son has made it bearable by refusing to let her feel ashamed of her condition.
How a Son Turned His Platform Into a Cause
Mendoza has often said that watching his mom fight MS every day shapes how he approaches life and football.
> “I see her fighting every single day, and I know there’s no excuse to ever have a bad day,” he said during the season.
While still at
Cal, Mendoza launched a
fundraising campaign for the National MS Society, using his growing visibility as a quarterback to spotlight the disease. Transferring to
Indiana, and then helping lead the Hoosiers to a Big Ten title, put that mission on a much bigger stage.
One of the reasons he was so excited to reach New York as a finalist for college football’s top honor, he said, was the chance to highlight
MS awareness and fundraising on a national platform.
> “My mom doesn’t want for anybody to feel sorry for her because she is a warrior and passionate, but I want to raise that money for people in need,” Mendoza explained.
> “I believe it’s my platform, the reason God put me here… to help others and help the community.”
Indiana Fans Step Up: Nearly $30,000 in a Week
Coming off Indiana’s
Big Ten championship run, Hoosier fans decided to show appreciation in a way that went beyond jerseys and applause.
- Supporters on social media organized a push to donate to Mendoza’s MS fundraising campaign.
- In about
one week, they helped raise
just shy of $30,000 for the cause.
Mendoza called the outpouring of support
“heartwarming” and said it meant a lot to his teammates and family as well.
> “It’s something my teammates have seen, it’s something my family has seen and really appreciated,” he said.
What began as a very private family struggle has now become a public movement — with a fanbase rallying around a quarterback not just for his play, but for his purpose.
Media Spotlight: From SNL Sketches to National Features
Mendoza’s story has now jumped beyond sports sections into mainstream coverage.
A
CNN segment recently spotlighted Fernando and Indiana football ahead of the Big Ten Championship, framing his on-field success alongside his off-field advocacy for MS. The YouTube clip highlighting his mom’s letter sits alongside other high-profile pop-culture videos — a sign that his story is resonating beyond hardcore college football fans.
Meanwhile,
The Players’ Tribune piece has been widely shared across social platforms, with many readers pointing to Elsa’s words as one of the most emotional sports essays of the year.
Why This Story Is Hitting So Hard
There are a few reasons this “Fernando Mendoza mom” story is everywhere right now:
-
Genuine vulnerability: A star quarterback admitting he was “bawling” over a letter from his mom cuts sharply against the usual tough-guy sports narrative.
-
A visible, relatable illness: Multiple sclerosis affects hundreds of thousands of people, but it’s often hidden. Elsa’s willingness to talk about limps, fatigue, and fear gives the disease a human face.
-
Action, not just awareness: Mendoza isn’t just sharing a story — he’s
raising serious money for MS research and support.
In an era when “personal brand” often feels manufactured, this mother–son dynamic feels raw and real. Elsa refuses pity. Fernando refuses excuses. And together they’ve turned a diagnosis into a platform.
What Comes Next for Fernando and Elsa
On the field, Mendoza’s future looks bright: he’s now one of the most recognizable quarterbacks in college football, with major awards and NFL buzz in the conversation.
Off the field, the momentum around his
MS fundraising is likely just beginning:
- The national attention from New York, the Big Ten title, and the viral Players’ Tribune letter all amplify his reach.
- With nearly
$30,000 raised in a week from Indiana fans alone, there is clear appetite for continued giving and awareness campaigns tied to his name.
If anything, the story of “Fernando Mendoza’s mom” has shifted from private struggle to public mission — one that could follow him into the pros, turning a quarterback’s career into a long-term campaign for
MS awareness, dignity, and research.
For now, though, it’s still what it has always been at its core: a mom, a son, and a promise that a disease will never define what matters most between them.
Sources
1. Indiana football QB Fernando Mendoza on mom's letter: 'Bawling his eyes' out
2. Dear Fernando | By Elsa Mendoza
3. Fernando Mendoza's Mom, Elsa, Pens Him a Letter - YouTube
