Fernando Mendoza family tree: Meet backup QB brother, mom and more about Indiana QB's Cuban roots originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Heisman finalist Fernando Mendoza is well known for what he can do on the football field. The Hoosier quarterback helped lead Indiana to a 13-0 start to the season and first Big Ten title since 1967. 

But behind Mendoza's success on the field, is a strong family. Mendoza has a younger brother, Alberto, and comes from two parents, Fernando Sr. and Elsa. 

Let's take a look at Mendoza's family, as well as where he grew up and more. 

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Is Fernando Mendoza related to Alberto Mendoza?

Yes, Fernando and Alberto Mendoza are brothers. Alberto is his younger brother, who is currently a redshirt freshman at Indiana. 

Fernando Mendoza brother: Alberto Mendoza 

Alberto Mendoza also played high school football at Columbus in Miami, Fla., like Fernando. He is a former 3-star recruit from the Class of 2024. 

As a backup for the Hoosiers, he has thrown 18 completions for 139 yards with three touchdowns. In fact, having his little brother in Bloomington was a big reason for Mendoza transferring to Indiana. 

"I think having my little brother there, who’s my best friend and the person who pushes me the hardest, it was great to have that," Mendoza said via the IndyStar. "To see his perspective on the coaching staff, the culture," Fernando Mendoza told the IndyStar in January following his transfer. 

After Alberto threw his first career touchdown pass against Kennesaw State earlier this season, both Mendoza brothers were fired up:

"I also know, at a certain point, that you had another goal in mind: to make the NFL," Mendoza's mother, Elsa penned in a recent letter she published to her son via The Players' Tribune: And in talking to Alberto about his development at IU, you became convinced that playing for Coach Cignetti and his staff was the right path forward."

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Fernando Mendoza parents

Fernando Mendoza's parents are Elsa and Fernando Mendoza. His mother, Elsa, played tennis at the University of Miami. His father is a doctor in Miami, with a Specialty in Pediatric Emergency Medicine. After Indiana's Big Ten championship over Ohio State, Mendoza celebrated with his parents: 

Fernando Mendoza mom: Elsa Mendoza

Fernando Mendoza's mother, Elsa, played tennis at UM in Coral Gables, where she earned two degrees. According to the Palm Beach Post, his mother taught him how to throw a football. 

In Elsa's Players' Tribune letter, she joked that she wished her son would take up tennis, like her:  

The truth is, it was more like an accident … from me being selfish. My dream was for you to play tennis like I did. And at UM there was this drill they’d run us through, where we’d practice throwing a ball across the net, to work on our serve. “Step and throw, step and throw.” So that’s what I’d tell you and Alberto! And now of course every quarterback coach jokes with me, “That’s the WORST thing you could have told them.” But you made it work. 

Elsa is one of Fernando's biggest motivators. Mendoza's mother has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which affects the central nervous system. 

"At this point, 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," Fernando said in a video for Hoosiers Connect, Indiana's official NIL collective. "You know, 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." 

Why is Fernando Mendoza's mother in a wheelchair?

Fernando Mendoza's mother is in a wheelchair due to her MS. Her son has been motivated to use his platform at Indiana to help those with the disease. At Indiana, he hosted  a fundraiser aiming to raise $100,000 for MS research, programs and services.

Fernando Mendoza dad: Fernando Mendoza Sr.

Mendoza's father is a doctor at Nicklaus Children's Pediatric Specialists in Miami, Fla. He specializes in Emergency Medicine within the hospital. 

Mendoza played offensive line at Columbus high school, alongside Miami head coach Mario Cristobal. He also rowed crew on a national and collegiate level.

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Fernando Mendoza grandparents

Fernando Mendoza's grandparents have been big inspirations for the Indiana quarterback. They are former immigrants, and Mendoza's parents are both first-generation Americans. 

Where are Fernando Mendoza's grandparents from?

All four of Mendoza's grandparents immigrated to the United States from Cuba. In high school, Mendoza helped organize a Cuban Relief Service trip with his grandfather, Alberto Espino. According to The Athletic, the experience was eye-opening for both Fernando and his brother: 

Fernando and his younger brother, Alberto, a redshirt freshman quarterback at Indiana, traveled to Cuba with his maternal grandparents in 2018 to see where their roots started. They did service work with Catholic charities in their grandfather’s hometown of Santiago. They took supplies and candy to elementary school kids. It was an eye-opening experience for them, said their mom, Elsa.

It showed the Mendoza boys “what just 90 miles and different government ideologies can make,” their dad said. 

Fernando Mendoza nationality

Fernando Mendoza is Cuban-American. 

Where is Fernando Mendoza from?

Fernando Mendoza grew up in Miami, Fla., but he was born in Boston, Mass. while his father was in residency there. Unsurprisingly, Mendoza became a huge fan of Tom Brady at a young age.   

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