College football superstar Fernando Mendoza shared an emotional celebration with his mother and father at the family's Miami home on Thursday night—when he was named as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Heisman Trophy winner Mendoza, 22, was selected first by the Las Vegas Raiders, a moment that he chose to mark at home in Florida, so that he could be with his father and mother, who has MS and was unable to travel to the official NFL Draft event in Pittsburgh, PA.
Video and images from the Mendozas' at-home celebration showed the Indiana Hoosiers alum embracing his parents on the couch inside the living room of their Coral Gables dwelling, where the football prodigy lived for much of his childhood.
According to ESPN, Mendoza had invited "about 80 friend and family" to join him at his family's home, where video reveals he threw quite the elaborate celebration—complete with waiters who were on hand to ensure the party went off without a hitch.
Speaking to the outlet, the quarterback voiced his excitement at signing on to what he described as a "great organization," where he will play alongside the likes of fellow quarterback Kirk Cousins and defensive star Maxx Crosby.
"What a great organization, great legacy," Mendoza said. "There's so many teammates I'm looking forward to talking to—coaches, owners. I'm ecstatic for the opportunity."
He went on to praise the Raiders coaches, including new head coach Klint Kubiak, noting that their ethos perfectly fits his "play style."
"Whatever team was going to select me would be a good fit, but deep down, in my heart I knew the Raiders are most likely going to be the best fit because of the coaching staff. I think it really fits my play style great."
According to Fox News, Mendoza and his family celebrated the draft with some traditional Cuban food in a nod to his parents home nation—including a roast pig, or lechon asado, which was served to the lucky guests at the party.
The outlet also notes that the area around the family's property was roped off in order to keep out any party crashers hoping for a glimpse at one of the NFL's biggest up-and-comers.
Mendoza's recruitment by the Raiders marked a milestone moment for his entire family, particularly his father, Fernando Sr., and his mother, Elsa, who has previously opened up about her fears at how her MS diagnosis might impact her children—both on and off the field.
In an emotional open letter to her son, which was published by The Player's Tribune in 2025, Elsa opened up about the moment that she sat Fernando and his brother, Alberto, down to share the news of her diagnosis, writing: "I was diagnosed about 18 years ago, but of course you never knew that. You and Alberto were so young, and I was doing fine….. and mostly I didn’t want you to worry.
"t just felt like this impossible thing to place on you guys. On my sweet boys. And then I kept doing fine until about 10 years ago, when we went skiing and I broke my ankle and knee. But even after that, I wasn’t quite ready to tell you—only that my leg hadn’t healed all the way, which is why your mom had her limp.
"It wasn’t until five years ago, when I got COVID, that things started to go downhill in a way where there was no more hiding it. It was during football season, and I realized I wasn’t going to be able to travel.
"And the thought of you wondering if I supported you any less, because suddenly I wasn’t at your games? I hated that. So that’s when I knew we had to sit you and your brother down.
"No amount of years could have prepared me for how hard of a conversation it ended up being. 'Your mom has this degenerative disease … and while we don’t know how it will progress, it’s going to start to affect us in a few ways. But it won’t affect us in the ways that matter. We’ll have each other, and love each other, and be there for each other. I promise.'"