Diego Pavia’s college football journey has taken a dramatic turn-and not in the direction many expected. Just weeks ago, the Vanderbilt quarterback was riding high, a gritty super-senior with a reputation as a fan favorite and a dark horse Heisman contender. But in the blink of an eye, that goodwill evaporated, replaced by a wave of backlash after a post-Heisman outburst that turned heads for all the wrong reasons.
Let’s rewind to the night of the Heisman Trophy ceremony. Pavia, who had been in the mix but ultimately came up short in the voting, didn’t take the loss quietly.
Instead of a gracious tip of the cap to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza-the runaway winner-Pavia took to social media to vent. First came a message criticizing voters who cast their ballots for Mendoza.
Then came the now-infamous photo of Pavia holding a sign that read “f*** Indiana” while celebrating later that evening.
The response was swift, and it wasn’t pretty.
Pavia has since issued a public apology, calling his actions “disrespectful.” But for some, the damage was already done. Among those not buying the apology: longtime Heisman voter and columnist Chase Goodbread, who didn’t mince words in his reaction.
In a pointed column, Goodbread described Pavia’s behavior as “jackassery” and questioned the maturity of a player who has spent six years in college football, won a legal battle for extra eligibility, and earned significant NIL money along the way. “Old enough to know better,” Goodbread wrote. “And old enough to handle some criticism.”
He didn’t stop there. “It was a punk move, Diego,” he added, noting that while he wasn’t seated next to Mendoza during the ceremony, his congratulations to the Indiana quarterback were sincere. The implication was clear: Pavia’s reaction to defeat lacked the grace expected of someone in his position.
And make no mistake-this wasn’t a close race. Mendoza pulled in 643 first-place votes, more than triple Pavia’s total.
It was a landslide, and there was no controversy about the outcome. Mendoza earned it.
Now, Pavia finds himself at a crossroads. The Heisman moment may be behind him, but the spotlight hasn’t dimmed.
He’ll have one more shot to reshape the narrative when Vanderbilt faces Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl on December 31. That game won’t just be about capping off a season-it’ll be about salvaging a legacy.
Because for all the talent and toughness Pavia has shown on the field, leadership is measured just as much by how a player handles adversity. And right now, Pavia has some work to do to win back the respect he lost off the field.
The bowl game offers a stage. The question is: what version of Diego Pavia will show up?