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Fernando Mendoza shared nan infinitesimal of being selected first overall successful nan NFL Draft pinch his family from location connected Thursday night.
He was seen hugging his family, including his mother Elsa Mendoza, successful a infinitesimal of celebration.
Despite being projected to beryllium nan first wide pick, Mendoza skipped nan in-person draught in Pittsburgh to enactment successful Florida pinch his mother, who battles aggregate sclerosis (MS) and is bound to a wheelchair.
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Indiana Hoosiers backmost Fernando Mendoza gestures aft nan CFP National Championship crippled against nan Miami Hurricanes astatine Hard Rock Stadium successful Miami Gardens, Fla., connected Jan. 19, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
When Mendoza was only astir 4 years old, his mother was diagnosed pinch nan disease. It is simply a chronic, autoimmune illness of nan cardinal tense strategy that tin impact nan encephalon and spinal cord. She has spent nan past fewer years successful a wheelchair.
Elsa Mendoza wrote astir nan acquisition successful a 2015 missive to her sons that was published successful The Players Tribune.
"I was diagnosed astir 18 years ago, but of people you ne'er knew that. You and Alberto were truthful young, and I was doing fine… and mostly I didn’t want you to worry. It conscionable felt for illustration this intolerable point to spot connected you guys. On my saccharine boys. And past I kept doing good until astir 10 years ago, erstwhile we went skiing and I collapsed my ankle and knee," she wrote.
"But moreover aft that, I wasn’t rather fresh to show you — only that my limb hadn’t healed each nan way, which is why your mom had her limp. It wasn’t until 5 years ago, erstwhile I sewage Covid, that things started to spell downhill successful a measurement wherever location was nary much hiding it. It was during shot season, and I realized I wasn’t going to beryllium capable to travel. And nan thought of you wondering if I supported you immoderate less, because abruptly I wasn’t astatine your games? I hated that. So that’s erstwhile I knew we had to beryllium you and your relative down."
INDIANA FOOTBALL STAR AND HIS BROTHER TURN THEIR NAMESAKE BURGER INTO BATTLE AGAINST MS
Fernando Mendoza of nan Indiana Hoosiers celebrates aft defeating nan Miami Hurricanes 27-21 successful nan 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship astatine Hard Rock Stadium successful Miami Gardens, Fla., connected Jan. 19, 2026. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
She went connected to recall, "how difficult of a speech it ended up being. 'Your mom has this degenerative disease… and while we don’t cognize really it will progress, it’s going to commencement to impact america successful a fewer ways. But it won’t impact america successful nan ways that matter. We’ll person each other, and emotion each other, and beryllium location for each other. I promise.'"
Both of Mednzoa's parents grew up successful Miami, Florida, arsenic nan children of Cuban refugees who fled communism aft Fidel Castro roseate to powerfulness successful nan country.
Mendoza's father, Fernando Mendoza Sr., was a rower astatine Brown University and a 1987 Junior World Championships golden medalist.
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Fernando Mendoza of nan Indiana Hoosiers celebrates aft defeating nan Miami Hurricanes 27-21 successful nan 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship astatine Hard Rock Stadium successful Miami Gardens, Fla., connected Jan. 19, 2026. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
But Mendoza's begetter besides played shot erstwhile he was younger, and was teammates pinch Miami Hurricanes caput coach Mario Cristobal astatine Christopher Columbus High School during nan 1980s. Mendoza would spell connected to conclusion his father's erstwhile teammate successful this year's CFP nationalist title game.
Meanwhile, his mother played tennis astatine nan University of Miami.
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Jackson Thompson is simply a sports newsman for Fox News Digital covering captious governmental and taste issues successful sports, pinch an investigative lens. Jackson's reporting has been cited successful national authorities actions related to nan enforcement of Title IX, and successful bequest media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.
