Fernando Mendoza Dedicates Heisman Trophy to Mom Elsa: ‘This Is Your Trophy as Much as it is Mine’
He won the Heisman and gave his mom all the credit. What she wrote to him days before will move you.
Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza just won the highly coveted Heisman Trophy, and in his acceptance speech he thanked his mother Elsa, who suffers from multiple sclerosis (MS). It was a heartfelt moment filled with love, admiration, joy and heart, and it brought millions of college football fans to tears. Keep reading to discover what Fernando said and how his “mommy” responded.
A look Fernando Mendoza’s mom
On Saturday, December 13, Mendoza was awarded the Heisman Trophy for his work as a college athlete. After receiving the award, he stood in front of the microphone and told the world how much his mom Elsa, who is wheelchair-bound from her 18-year battle with MS, meant to him.
“Mami, this is your trophy as much as it is mine,” the 22-year-old quarterback said. “You’ve always been my biggest fan. You’re my light, you’re my ‘why,’ you’re my biggest supporter.”
“Your sacrifices, courage, love, those have been my first playbook and that playbook that I’m going to carry by my side for my entire life,” he continued. “You taught me that toughness doesn’t need to be loud. It can be quiet and strong. It’s choosing hope. It’s believing in yourself when the world doesn’t give you much reason to. Together, you and I are rewriting what people think is possible. I love you.”
In addition to his heartfelt speech, Fernando has teamed up with several Bloomington, Indiana, restaurants to help raise money for the National MS Society. He has spoken openly in the past about his mother’s health, telling Hoosiers Connect earlier this month, “She has a tough time moving around and stuff like that, but her happiness, her joy and her determination is what inspires me every single day and that’s what pushes me.”
“If I’m in a workout and I’m feeling tired, you know, a little thought in my mind goes, ‘Maybe you should skip out on this set’ or something like that, I’ll be like, my mom is out here every single day putting a ton of work, a ton of dedication and still with a great attitude, a great positive attitude in everything she does,” Fernando continued.
Elsa Mendoza praises her son
Days before the Heisman Trophy ceremony, Elsa wrote a letter to her son in The Players Tribune detailing how much their relationship means to her.
“You are up for this amazing individual award—but as anyone who’s ever watched you knows, that’s not what you’re about. You’re a teammate at heart. I’ve been lucky enough to know that for a much longer time than most people…and not just because I’m your mom. But because I feel like I was your very first teammate,” Elsa wrote, before sharing that she hid her MS diagnosis from her son up until the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was during football season, and I realized I wasn’t going to be able to travel. And the thought of you wondering if I supported you any less, because suddenly I wasn’t at your games? I hated that. So that’s when I knew we had to sit you and your brother down,” Elsa wrote. “No amount of years could have prepared me for how hard of a conversation it ended up being. 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. We’ll have each other, and love each other, and be there for each other. I promise.”
“Whether you win the trophy or not, though, and whether you win or lose in the playoffs—if there’s one thought I want to leave you with, it’s this: Your accomplishments will NEVER impact how proud of you I am. Because 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,” she continued. “It has everything to do with the man you’ve grown into. As an oldest brother who shows the way. As a hard worker who has an unstoppable spirit. As a Cuban American athlete who represents his community. As a leader who lifts up, and lends kindness, even when no one is looking. As a person of faith, who leans on God and trusts Him, even when it’s an uneasy road. You have a future that’s so bright and a heart that’s so full. My gentle giant. My darling son. My buddy. My teammate. I believe in you with every part of me.”
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