“However, my mom really wanted to do it at home and so did my parents, it’s a lot easier for us, especially with the family situation.” He added, “I wanted to stay and make the memory of everyone who poured into my football journey—mentors, coaches, family, friends. I want to share that moment with all of them it’s gonna be the best memory that I can make rather than limit it to 10 or 12 people in Pittsburgh.”Elsa Mendoza kisses her son after the Indiana Hoosiers win the College Football National Championship in January 2026.cfp - Getty ImagesThe “family situation” he refers to is that Mendoza’s mom, Elsa, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2007 and is now wheelchair-bound.

“You’ve made me feel seen,” Elsa wrote in an essay in The Player’s Tribune dedicated to her son about how he handled her illness. “Whether it was giving me full debriefs of your college visits, what you liked and disliked (pictures included) … or it was calling me before some big game I had to miss while in treatment … or it’s being so vocal and passionate about MS fundraising … or it’s even something as silly as joking, ‘Wait, did you put on a few pounds???’ when you have to carry me up the stairs … you’ve always kept that same spark in your eye.”She continued, “No matter what kind of state I’ve been in, or day I’ve been having — you’ve never once looked away.

You’ve never once treated me like I’m embarrassing, or deficient, or anything other than someone you love and are standing by. And even as my condition has gotten worse, and as our lives continue to change around that fact: You manage to make me feel like I’m still every part of myself.”You Might Also Like25 Watch Brands That Belong in Every CollectionThe 50 Best Animated Films to Watch With Your KidsThe 28 Best Westerns of All Time