Video of Diego Pavia Partying With ‘F--- Indiana’ Sign Going Viral After Heisman Loss

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia was seen partying with a sign that read 'F--- Indiana' after Hoosiers' Fernando Mendoza won the Heisman.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia was seen partying with a sign that read 'F--- Indiana' after Hoosiers' Fernando Mendoza won the Heisman. / Screengrab on Twitter/ @RedditCFB
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In the days following the Heisman ceremony, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia has arguably been the dictionary definition of "sore loser."

After losing the trophy to Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, Pavia took to social media to share a blunt message to all those who voted for the Heisman winner: "F--- all the voters," he wrote on Instagram. The 23-year-old has since apologized for his 'disrespectful' post, writing on X (formerly Twitter): "I have much love and respect for the Heisman voters and the selection process, and I apologize for being disrespectful. It was a mistake, and I am sorry. Fernando Mendoza is an elite competitor and a deserving winner of the award."

Yet, a new video of Pavia partying at a club in NYC seems to show the Vanderbilt star's true feelings about seeing Mendoza win the Heisman. Sometime after the Heisman ceremony, Pavia could be seen holding out his middle finger to someone carrying an electronic sign that read, "F--- Indiana."

Watch that clip below:

It's not a good look at all for Pavia who, despite his public apology, doesn't appear to be taking his perceived Heisman snub very well.

Pavia had previously reposted several tweets on X that claimed he deserved college football's biggest prize, including Skip Bayless's and former Heisman winner Johnny Manziel's endorsements.

"People thought I was a fluke last year. ... I took that personally," Pavia said ahead of the ceremony. "That was one of my goals, to be the best player in the SEC, but obviously I want to win the Heisman. All of us do, the top four are very good players, so you know I'm excited about tomorrow."

Pavia's words say one thing, but his actions say something entirely else. It'll be interesting to see how NFL scouts view the polarizing quarterback prospect who helped Vanderbilt clinch a historic 10-win season but doesn't seem able to graciously accept a loss off the field.


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Kristen Wong
KRISTEN WONG

Kristen Wong is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. She has been a sports journalist since 2020. Before joining SI in November 2023, Wong covered four NFL teams as an associate editor with the FanSided NFL Network and worked as a staff writer for the brand’s flagship site. Outside of work, she has dreams of running her own sporty dive bar.