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Elsa Mendoza is the mother of Heisman Trophy<\/a> winner\u00a0Fernando Mendoza<\/a>, who is leading Indiana football<\/a> in the\u00a0Rose Bowl<\/a> against Alabama<\/a> on New Year’s Day 2026.<\/p>\n She suffers from multiple sclerosis<\/a>, which damages the central nervous system, and she uses a wheelchair. Fernando and Alberto Mendoza, brothers and IU quarterbacks, raise money to fight the disease<\/a>.<\/p>\n Elsa Mendoza, who played tennis at the University of Miami, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis about 18 years ago and her disease exacerbated about five years ago, when she was diagnosed with COVID-19.<\/p>\n Elsa Mendoza wrote a letter to her son in The Players’ Tribune<\/a> that was published the week leading up to the Heisman Trophy presentation.<\/p>\n “You\u2019re a teammate at heart. I\u2019ve been lucky enough to know that for a much longer time than most people\u2026.. and not just because I\u2019m your mom. But because I feel like I was your very first teammate.<\/p>\n “\u2026 (M)aybe this is silly to say about a newborn, but to me you were more like my buddy. And it\u2019s like we were each dealing with our own exciting\/scary new thing. And the way we got through it was together.”<\/p>\n