Theo Von Gives Vanderbilt Football Speech At Fall Camp, But A Different Type Than Usual

NASHVILLE—Once Clark Lea finished his post-practice remarks Monday morning, he turned to Nashville-based comedian Theo Von and motioned for him to come in front of his Vanderbilt team to give a speech. Von did the same thing during the 2025 season, but this speech felt different.

Watching Vanderbilt’s players and staffers from afar told the story of the difference clearly. Von’s 2025 speech included a plea to law enforcement to free Diego Pavia’s brother Javy after his arrest and a fake motivational speech while a livestream played in the background. Monday, nobody was laughing while Von talked.

And, it wasn’t because he isn’t funny. Von wasn’t trying to be this time.

“When he spoke last year, it was a little bit more of him being a comedian,” Vanderbilt tight ends coach Brendan Flaherty said. ”This was a little bit more like a legitimate message to Vanderbilt football and it wasn't like getting laughs and stuff. It was more like–I really appreciate everything he said.”

No Vanderbilt players or staff members tipped their hand in regard to exactly what Von said while he addressed the team, but Flaherty says Von “crushed” the speech and indicated that he understands what the program is about. Flaherty indicated that Von is “all in” on what Vanderbilt is aiming to accomplish under Lea.

There’s no Vanderbilt football fan like Von, not one with his level of reach, not one with his level of absurdity and not one with his level of pull within its locker room. Von said last season that he was particularly close with Pavia, running back MK Young and Chris Bellamy–a transfer wide receiver from New Mexico State that wasn’t granted an additional year of eligibility, but was still involved in Vanderbilt’s program.

As this Vanderbilt program has become fun at a level in which it never has been, it’s needed a figurehead to embody it. Von isn’t the blueprint fan–and has still been spotted rooting on other SEC teams–but he’s one of the faces of Vanderbilt's rise as a program.

Von has been at two of Vanderbilt’s fall camp practices through the first five days of camp after being a fixture of the McGugin Center throughout the 2025 season. There was some thought that Von would move on from his fandom after Pavia graduated, but he was in the building for Vanderbilt practices in the spring and was on the sidelines at its spring game.

When Vandy on SI caught up with Von on the sidelines of a Vanderbilt home game, he said that he was drawn to Vanderbilt because of its underdog nature and said he was rooting for it as a result. Perhaps that tipped his hand in regard to what he said in the huddle on Monday morning.

“I feel like I just showed up when they’re winning, bro,” Von said during the season. “It’s pretty fascinating to me. I’m an underdog, man. I’ve been an underdog my whole life, that’s the only thing I love.”

And, the indication is that Vanderbilt loves Von back.

Pavia and Von stood behind the plays on Monday as Vanderbilt worked to sort out its quarterback competition and build on its program-best 10-win season. Von has developed a relationship with Lea and doesn’t appear to be leaving the program anytime soon. As for his speech?

“That was a real thing that he said,” Vanderbilt tight end Maurice Veney said. “I’m just glad we got to hear from somebody of his stature.”

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