Fernando Mendoza's Family Health Situation Keeping Him Away From NFL Draft

Fernando Mendoza, the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in Thursday night's NFL Draft, will not be in attendance in Pittsburgh. He will not be walking onto the stage and shaking hands with the commissioner. Instead, he'll be watching from home in South Florida.

News of Mendoza's NFL Draft decision broke earlier this month. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that Mendoza wanted to watch the NFL Draft from home, in South Florida, with his family.

"Mendoza wants to share the draft experience with his family in Miami," ESPN's Adam Schefter said.

Mendoza, the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner, has been very clear over the years: his family means more to him than anything.

Mendoza's mother, Elsa, has multiple sclerosis. The chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system can lead to muscle loss, numbness, fatigue and other painful symptoms. Mendoza's father often watched his games from his seat, refusing to get up to celebrate, so he could instead celebrate alongside his wife.

It's Mendoza's mom who has pushed for his NFL Draft celebration to occur at home and not in Pittsburgh.

Mendoza's family health situation behind his NFL Draft decision

Mendoza opened up on The Rich Eisen Show on Monday.

"Pittsburgh is a great opportunity and it's a great venue, and I'm really excited to see most of the guys walk across the stage on Thursday night," Mendoza said on the Rich Eisen Show. "It'd be a dream for a lot of guys, however, my mom really wanted to do it at home, and so did my parents. It was a lot easier for us, especially with the family situation, and I would have to hop on a plane the next morning anyways. For that travel, it would be a lot easier to stay at home."

Mendoza will welcome a much bigger crowd to his house in Florida.

"I wanted to stay and make the memory with everybody who poured into my football journey," Mendoza said. "Mentors, coaches, family, friends - to be able to share that moment with all of them, is going to be the best memory that I can make, rather than limiting it to 10 or 12 people in Pittsburgh."

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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 1:08 PM.