This offseason, two Mendozas made major moves that put their football journeys in the spotlight. Alberto Mendoza transferred from Indiana to Georgia Tech in January 2026, while Fernando Mendoza became the No. 1 pick of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Now, if you are wondering if these two quarterbacks are related, yes, Alberto and Fernando are brothers.
Fernando and Alberto Mendoza’s Family Background in the Spotlight
The Mendoza siblings grew up in Miami, Florida, with football as their passion. Their father, Fernando Mendoza Sr., brought an impressive background of his own. He works as a physician at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami.
Before entering medicine, Mendoza Sr. played alongside current Miami head coach Mario Cristobal at Columbus High School. He later continued his athletic career as a rower at Brown University.
In 1987, Mendoza Sr. won a gold medal at the Junior World Rowing Championships. His commitment to preparation and discipline eventually became an important influence on his sons’ football development.
Their mother, Elsa Mendoza, grew up in Miami and spent part of her early 20s in Boston. She also has an athletic background. She played tennis in Miami but chose not to pursue professional sports and eventually earned two degrees.
Alberto and Fernando also have a younger brother named Max. He also followed his father and brothers and joined Christopher Columbus High School. However, as per reports, Max is an aspiring broadcaster interested in a television career rather than football.
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Fernando and Alberto Mendoza’s Interlink Footballing Careers
Their football journey began at Christopher Columbus High School in Westchester. Fernando first made his mark in 2019 and finished his high school career with 2,222 passing yards and 29 passing touchdowns while completing 67.5 percent of his throws.
Then, in 2022, Alberto succeeded his brother and racked up a 26-2 record as a two-year starter. He also guided the school to state championships in 2022 and 2023.
Interestingly, the brothers reunited at Indiana University in the 2025 season. Alberto originally committed to James Madison University but switched to Indiana to play for Curt Cignetti. Meanwhile, Fernando arrived in Bloomington after playing for the California Golden Bears.
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Together, they helped turn the Hoosiers into one of college football’s biggest stories in 2025. Fernando and Alberto became the first brothers in a decade to throw touchdown passes in the same game for one team.
Fernando was phenomenal throughout the season and took home the Heisman Trophy. He completed 273 of 379 passes (72%) for 3,535 yards with 41 passing touchdowns and six interceptions. He also added 440 rushing yards and seven rushing scores on 65 carries in 16 games. Those numbers saw him rank at #2 in PFN’s College QB Impact Rankings.
On the other hand, Alberto provided steady play as a backup. In nine games, he completed 18 of 24 passes for 286 yards, five touchdowns, and 1 interception. He also added 190 rushing yards and one touchdown on 13 carries.
After Indiana won the national championship, the brothers took separate routes.
Fernando declared for the 2026 NFL Draft and joined the Raiders on a four-year, fully guaranteed $57.27 million rookie contract.
This year, Alberto was seeking a starting opportunity. So when Indiana brought in TCU transfer Josh Hoover, he joined Georgia Tech instead.
