Diego Pavia is Still Unapologetically Himself Despite Heisman Spotlight
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Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin walked up and shook hands first, then Diego Pavia strutted in with a black Vanderbilt sweatsuit and his patented pair of wired earbuds before pulling in a Heisman representative for a quick embrace rather than a handshake.
General perception around the interaction has promoted the idea that Pavia and the program he represents haven’t been to a place like this before, but those who know Pavia know that this is just him. Vanderbilt’s star quarterback–who has cemented himself as a Heisman Trophy finalist alongside Mendoza, Sayin and Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love–is unceasingly, unapologetically himself. That’s what it took to get to New York–and Baltimore, where Pavia went Friday night to accept the Unitas Award–and now that Pavia is there, he’s doing all he knows how to; be himself.
The four hours of sleep Pavia got the night before his Friday in New York and endless slew of media hits wouldn’t allow for anything else. The exercise of being a Heisman finalist is entirely too strenuous to fake a personality through.
In classic Pavia form, he opened an answer in regard to a question asking him to recap his time in New York with a note about a “great” bacon, egg and cheese sandwich that he ate by the recommendation of Vanderbilt offensive lineman Cade McConnell the night before his media availability and ended it by recalling that Cam Newton–who he met earlier in the day–is “a JUCO guy, too.”
Pavia has adopted the glitz and glamor that comes with being a Heisman finalist in the NIL era with luxury jewelry and a flashy car that he’s often seen in downtown Nashville, but he’s the last to forget about where he came from and the belief he had in himself all along. Perhaps Pavia’s blend of humble past and flashy present was best encapsulated as he said Friday that he’ll give the watch that he was awarded for being a Heisman finalist to his mother as a family heirloom, but that he told comedian Theo Von that he could have the Heisman Trophy in the background of his podcast if Pavia wins it.
Say what you will about Pavia’s personality and his chances to leave New York with the award, but his Friday press conference was peak Pavia as well as an example of why he’s the most polarizing player in Manhattan this weekend whether he wins the award or not. Perhaps others had more polished answers, but no player had as much fun or expressed as much self belief on Friday as Pavia did.
“I feel like I get this perspective that maybe I’m cocky or whatever, but I’m just a confident person,” Pavia said. “I feel like sometimes I’ve had to be my own cheerleader in a way because as an underdog, a former walk-on at a JUCO, you’ve gotta be your own cheerleader.”
Pavia’s Friday press conference seemingly fully encapsulated him in that it included reflective moments as he addressed his underdog journey to this stage as well as ones in which he spoke to his relationship with controversial former Heisman winner Johnny Manziel, how he “cannot dance” and his polarizing brothers that are seemingly always by his side.
The dynamic of Pavia’s family taking center stage is as cultural as it is individual. Pavia shares a cultural connection with Mendoza as well as Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez–the fifth-place finisher in the Heisman race–that means something to him.
“I think it comes with a lot of pride,” Pavia said of the prevalence of Hispanic players becoming the face of the Heisman ceremony this season. “I feel like there are a bunch of other dogs in the Hispanic community. And I feel like, and I'm speaking from past tense, when I used to live in New Mexico, you see a lot of people who wake up to work more than a nine to five, six to six, or something like that. And we're just underdogs, and we want to work, and we want to be well, we want to make money, so that's why we work. But yeah, we've always been underdogs.”
Pavia says that he believes that the Hispanic representation at the Heisman ceremony could lead to more players of his descent being recruited. Pavia’s path to earning a stage in which he can be an example to those who haven’t been spotlighted as recruits in the way they feel as if they should be has winded and taken downturns, but it’s finally led him to New York.
The Vanderbilt quarterback has been himself throughout the whole path here, has always believed and doesn’t appear to be changing now that he’s here. Win or lose on Saturday night, Pavia knows what he wants to represent and will still wake up the next day before throwing in his wired earbuds.
That’s the Diego Pavia that showed up on Vanderbilt’s campus two springs ago and entered a quarterback competition and it’s the same Diego Pavia that will walk into Raymond James Stadium for the ReliaQuest Bowl. Perhaps that’s the beauty in the Vanderbilt quarterback, love him or hate him.
_(1)-b3e453dfe426b2dd4b83a12540ebdb37.jpeg "Joey Dwyer")
Joey Dwyer is the lead writer on Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. He found his first love in college sports at nearby Lipscomb University and decided to make a career of telling its best stories. He got his start doing a Notre Dame basketball podcast from his basement as a 14-year-old during COVID and has since aimed to make that 14-year-old proud. Dwyer has covered Vanderbilt sports for three years and previously worked for 247 Sports and Rivals. He contributes to Seth Davis' Hoops HQ, Southeastern 16 and Mainstreet Nashville.
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