Fernando Mendoza embraces wheelchair-bound mom after Raiders select him No 1 overall

Fernando Mendoza shared the infinitesimal of being selected archetypal wide successful the NFL Draft with his household from location connected Thursday night.

He was seen hugging his family, including his parent Elsa Mendoza, successful a infinitesimal of celebration.

Despite being projected to beryllium the archetypal wide pick, Mendoza skipped the in-person draught successful Pittsburgh to enactment successful Florida with his mother, who battles aggregate sclerosis (MS) and is bound to a wheelchair.

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Indiana Hoosiers backmost Fernando Mendoza gestures aft the CFP National Championship crippled against the Miami Hurricanes astatine Hard Rock Stadium successful Miami Gardens, Fla., connected Jan. 19, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

When Mendoza was lone astir 4 years old, his parent was diagnosed with the disease. It is simply a chronic, autoimmune illness of the cardinal tense strategy that tin impact the encephalon and spinal cord. She has spent the past fewer years successful a wheelchair.

Elsa Mendoza wrote astir the 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 privation you to worry. It conscionable felt similar this intolerable happening 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 broke my ankle and knee," she wrote.

"But adjacent aft that, I wasn’t rather acceptable to archer you — lone that my limb hadn’t healed each the way, which is wherefore your ma had her limp. It wasn’t until 5 years ago, erstwhile I got Covid, that things started to spell downhill successful a mode wherever determination was nary much hiding it. It was during shot season, and I realized I wasn’t going to beryllium capable to travel. And the thought of you wondering if I supported you immoderate less, due to the fact that abruptly I wasn’t astatine your games? I hated that. So that’s erstwhile I knew we had to beryllium you and your member down."

INDIANA FOOTBALL STAR AND HIS BROTHER TURN THEIR NAMESAKE BURGER INTO BATTLE AGAINST MS

Fernando Mendoza of the Indiana Hoosiers celebrates aft defeating the Miami Hurricanes 27-21 successful the 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 hard of a speech it ended up being. 'Your ma has this degenerative disease… and portion we don’t cognize however it volition progress, it’s going to commencement to impact america successful a fewer ways. But it won’t impact america successful the ways that matter. We’ll person each other, and emotion each other, and beryllium determination for each other. I promise.'"

Both of Mednzoa's parents grew up successful Miami, Florida, arsenic the children of Cuban refugees who fled communism aft Fidel Castro roseate to powerfulness successful the 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 the Indiana Hoosiers celebrates aft defeating the Miami Hurricanes 27-21 successful the 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 helium was younger, and was teammates with Miami Hurricanes caput manager Mario Cristobal astatine Christopher Columbus High School during the 1980s. Mendoza would spell connected to decision his father's erstwhile teammate successful this year's CFP nationalist title game.

Meanwhile, his parent played tennis astatine the University of Miami.

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