Inside Diego Pavia's Record-Setting Senior Day
In this story:
NASHVILLE—A white sheisty wrapped around the crevices of his face, a thick silver chain bounced off of his neck as if it was upset that the November gloom didn’t let it shimmer in the sunlight and a beanie covered his head as if he was trying to hide. It’s an out of the box look for anyone else in the country, but for Diego Pavia it’s just the flavor of the week.
Later that day Pavia would break the Vanderbilt passing yard record for a single game, but right now he walks down the crowded sidewalk at the back of the pack before locating his impossible to miss family. Pavia’s brother Javy–dressed in a full four-piece suit–had just returned from straying down the walkway while his mom, brother Roel and sister Abrielle waited for their embrace. The Vanderbilt quarterback’s bulldog look figuratively dropped as he wrapped his arms around his mom, loosened up to smile as his older brother–who was dressed in a cowboy hat and more stylish than practical sunglasses–sternly told him what he expected him to accomplish later in the afternoon and his younger one did the same.
It’s the Pavia experience that this family has come to know over the years. Some may view it as a distraction, but all things wouldn’t be right in the world if Vanderbilt’s Star Walk didn’t include this demonstrative show of affection and edge
Pavia warms up along the visitors’ sideline in team-issued mesh clothing and chats with Vanderbilt backup quarterback Drew Dickey as he appears to be completely unphased by the idea that he had to suit up for battle in less than two hours. It’s perhaps the final home game of Pavia’s Vanderbilt career, but he never held it too tightly.
It’s impossible to do so in the environment that Pavia found himself in on Saturday afternoon. As he re-emerged from the tunnel at the front of the pack with his pads and a full uniform on, Pavia quickly broke the stern character he carried through his under center drills–one of which, which includes him taking a knee, has been controversial at best and divisive at worst–as he drifted toward the visiting sideline and found infamous Twitch streamer Sketch.
Pavia had already greeted Tennessee Titans receiver Xavier Restrepo with a hug and smile, but his interaction with the steamer–who has established a platform off of slapstick humor–said something more about him. It indicated that even in the moments prior to a game with College Football Playoff implications, Pavia hadn’t lost sight of the mentality that had gotten him to that point.
If he had, he’d quickly be reminded of it as star comedian Theo Von strutted onto the sideline and Pavia’s brother Javy had to be held off the field by Roel due to an enthusiastic, well-intentioned effort to motivate Vanderbilt players prior to kickoff. Pavia’s younger brother eventually gave in and brought his infamous “PAVIA” Vanderbilt flag back to the sideline before greeting Vanderbilt EDGE rusher Khordae Sydnor during the next stage of warmups.
“They haven't missed a game,” Pavia said. “I’ve got a great family. I love them to death and family comes before anything. So super appreciative of them coming and sacrificing all their time and their stuff. My little sister has a game on Tuesday. She could be home preparing for that, but she gets hoops in here, so it's just a blessing just to be in the Vanderbilt facility. I feel like they embrace us. They love us, and we feel real comfortable.”
Pavia’s family was as apparent of a show stealer prior to the game as has ever been seen within FirstBank Stadium. They still have an approachable enough side to embrace a Liberty Bowl representative that came to introduce himself. If Pavia did what he intended on doing later in the day the Bowl would be irrelevant, but no side of the Pavia family is dismissive to outsiders.
As the flocks of Vanderbilt parents are escorted out to the field, Pavia’s family demonstrates their unique inclusivity as his mom retreats back to the sideline to find Von and walk him toward the family’s station around the 20 yard line. Perhaps Von had to be grabbed as a result of wanting to avoid imposing on the Pavia parade, perhaps he was lost in the shuffle after a family+Von photo with Vanderbilt baseball coach Tim Corbin. It’s a scene that’s become familiar around these parts and a telling piece of the Pavia spectacle.
“I don’t think the place was as prepared as they should’ve been for when he was here this season, but no shade, they’re just learning as they go,” Von told Vandy on SI prior to the game. “I think it’s the most hype team they’ve had in a long time. I think they have a special group and Diego is a huge part of it.”
Javy Pavia greeted each of Vanderbilt’s 35 honored seniors with a wave of his famous towel, by the time the previous 34 had gathered with their families the eyes of FirstBank Stadium turned to the south end zone tunnel. There stood their quarterback as he milled around prior to greeting Vanderbilt chancellor Daniel Diermeier, high fiving those who surrounded the tunnel down on the field and received a commemorative football from Vanderbilt athletic director Candice Storey Lee as well as Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea.
The posed photo with the two figures and moment in the sun will be the lasting memory of the day for some who have paid their dues to this Vanderbilt program over the years, but if the day was going to mean anything to Pavia then the pregame semantics would likely be the least significant part of it.
Lea nearly begged the Nashville community earlier in the week to fill the FirstBank Stadium stands for what could be their last look at Pavia and it wasn’t for anything that had to do with the spectacle he created prior to kickoff.
"He deserves to be in the Heisman conversation," Lea said. "He tips the field when he steps on it. There's only a few players in the world that when the ball's in their hand, if they can take over a game. He's done that repeatedly here."
The Vanderbilt coach has declared time and time again that Pavia is America’s best college football player and wanted the FirstBank Stadium crowd to have one more chance to see what he saw. Perhaps the narrative Lea has constructed is a result of his bias, but his argument appeared to be plenty good after Saturday’s game.
Pavia appeared to have a signature moment as he connected with Vanderbilt receiver Tre Richardson on a 71-yard deep ball that was as well thrown as any in Pavia’s Vanderbilt career. Perhaps he topped it later in the afternoon with a perfectly-placed ball that led Junior Sherrill to the back corner of the end zone. Pavia’s 32-yard touchdown strike to Vanderbilt receiver Richie Hoskins–which ended with a Pavia and Von chest bump on the sideline–also had an argument to be considered his best of the day.
Between the debate of whether Pavia had furthered his stock in the Heisman Trophy conversation and the repeated TV shots of his mom–who hit the Heisman trophy pose in the stands in the fourth quarter–celebrating each moment, Pavia’s rolodex of standout throws led to perhaps his most impressive performance in a Vanderbilt uniform. It was only fitting that the artist behind most of Vanderbilt’s biggest wins in program history would have his best on a day in which he was honored. It was yet another addition to his already legendary Vanderbilt legacy.
“He’s the best Vanderbilt football player ever,” Roel told Vandy on SI, “Without a doubt.”
At the very least, Pavia has something going for him that nobody can take from him after Saturday’s game. His 517-yard outing in which threw for 484 yards, completed 32 of his 38 passes and threw for five touchdowns set the Vanderbilt all-time record for passing yards in a game. The previous record was set by Whit Taylor in 1981.
It was a stunning enough outing to demonstrate that Pavia was dancing to Whitney Houston’s “I want to dance with somebody” on the sideline alongside Vanderbilt walk-on receiver Derek Kee after throwing an interception early in Saturday’s fourth quarter. Prior to that drive, Pavia and Lea had a passionate conversation in which Pavia asked Lea to “please” put him back into the game at the start of the fourth quarter, Lea said that he needed to preserve Pavia for a “championship” push. But when it was all said and done, Pavia got his way.
“He doesn’t ask for much and you know what, maybe I’m wrong,” Lea said. “It almost felt like I owed him this, I owe him the chance to go back out. So, we did.”
Pavia’s outing was a gentle reminder that he’s still here and that he’ll be a difficult act to follow despite Vanderbilt seemingly trending toward a commitment from class of 2026 quarterback Jared Curtis. The Vanderbilt quarterback is the best it’s ever had and proved that he shouldn’t be taken for granted.
By the end of it, Pavia was hugging his offensive linemen and received a curtain call that prompted the Vanderbilt crowd into a “PAVIA” chant as he addressed them with a heart formed by his hands. There’s been nobody like Pavia within this program’s history and there don’t appear to have been many performances like the one he put together on Saturday. The ovation was mandatory for those still in the crowd around the eight-minute mark of Saturday’s game.
“It was an amazing feeling,” Pavia said. “I'm super thankful for the crowd, the fans, they showed up this year.”
Pavia’s performance on Saturday was perhaps as good as any that a Vanderbilt fan will ever see. It was fitting that he was the one to do it on a night in which he occupied the spotlight. When it was all over, Pavia pumped his fist, cracked a smile and embraced a few teammates before running into the tunnel as to avoid the mob that would shortly ensue around him.
The Vanderbilt quarterback with a wrestler’s mentality and a magician’s flair for the dramatic performed what appears to be his final act act FirstBank Stadium. That’s Diego Pavia personified. That’s the embodiment of the stereotypical last Pavia experience in this place.
“That was probably the best feeling for him,” Richardson said. “He got an ovation for probably the best game I feel like I’ve seen him play. Every game is always a good game for him, but tonight was probably the best overall.”
_(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.
Follow joey_dwy