For Diego Pavia, December should have marked the start of a carefully orchestrated four-month march to the NFL draft.
The Vanderbilt quarterback had already positioned himself as a Heisman Trophy finalist after leading his school to its first 10-win season. Along the way, he established himself as one of the most dynamic playmakers in college football, totaling more than 4,000 combined yards and 36 touchdowns on the year. Though his pro prospects lagged significantly behind those of his peers at the ceremony in New York, Pavia earlier in the week accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl, where he would try to build the case that he possesses the necessary tools to be a trustworthy passer whom a team could bring along.
Then came the massive unforced error.
After finishing second in Heisman voting to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza on Saturday, Pavia reposted a picture of himself in front of Vanderbilt’s offensive line, writing ‘(Expletive)-ALL THE VOTERS’ with a thumbs down emoji and ‘BUT … FAMILY FOR LIFE.’ A video also circulated on social media of Pavia at a club giving the middle finger to a sign that read ‘(expletive) INDIANA.’
The blowback arrived as swiftly as an SEC defensive end barreling down on him. On Sunday, he posted a lengthy apology.
‘To be so close to my dream and come up short was painful,’ Pavia wrote. ‘I didn’t handle those emotions well at all and did not represent myself the way I wanted to. I have much love and respect for the Heisman voters and the selection process, and I apologize for being disrespectful.’
That’s the first of what is sure to be many forthcoming statements of contrition from the quarterback, who likely will be pressed throughout the pre-draft process about his reaction. And while to suggest that this action somehow tanks his stock would be insincere, the misstep serves as another impediment on what already looked like a rather arduous path to the pros.
If Pavia was at least somewhat close to Mendoza – an almost surefire top-five pick and potential front-runner for the No. 1 overall slot – in his draft standing, the incident might be easy to dismiss. But the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner is a long way off from that.
Pavia’s height, play style already work against pro prospects
Listed at 6-foot-0, Pavia is sure to cause a stir with his measurements in Mobile, Alabama, given that multiple reports say he might not even clear 5-10. The reckless, structure-breaking playing style that sparked his star turn for the Commodores isn’t particularly tenable at the pro level. And the developmental label given to raw, young prospects might not stick for a passer who will be 24 on draft day.
Despite his progress this season, Pavia still has the profile of a late-round pick or even an undrafted free agent.
Pavia now is on notice to present a more polished and palatable version of himself to the myriad coaches and front-office types he’s sure to meet in the coming months. But it will be difficult for him to convince evaluators that this was a mere lapse in judgment. While at New Mexico State, Pavia urinated on the logo in the middle of rival New Mexico’s practice field. And while his brash persona helped amplify his accomplishments to elevate Vanderbilt football to a much larger stage, his repeated antics might not sit well with NFL teams looking for a more humble presence to round out their depth chart.
‘Diego knows his actions were unacceptable and he has apologized,’ athletic director Candice Lee said in a statement to The Tennessean and the USA TODAY Network on Dec. 15. ‘I know he is contrite and regrets the hurt he caused. He is a passionate and authentic competitor, and while his authenticity has been nurtured and celebrated here, it does not change the responsibility that comes with representing Vanderbilt University.’
If Pavia is able to convey his competitive fire properly, he’d likely have a captive audience in many NFL coaching staffs. There’s an undeniable allure to an undersized player who worked himself up from the junior college ranks to starring in the SEC, especially while working alongside a group that often was operating at a perceived talent deficit in many of its matchups. Senior Bowl director of football operations Jack Gilmore told AL.com that despite Pavia’s frame, he ‘has everything you want in a quarterback’ and ‘one of the best competitors in the entire draft class.’
Underdog story aside, Pavia’s Heisman heel turn won’t play with NFL execs
For better or worse, the underdog ethos comes through in all of Pavia’s actions.
‘I’ve been doubted my whole life,’ Pavia said in his apology. ‘Every step of my journey I’ve had to break down doors and fight for myself, because I’ve learned that nothing would be handed to me. My family has always been in my corner, and my teammates, coaches and staff have my six. I love them – I am grateful for them. – and I wouldn’t want anything to distract from that.’
Perhaps this is the start of a course correction for someone who will need to compartmentalize his inner motivations with his public-facing actions. Any NFL decision-maker who wants Pavia to maintain his edge still might expect him to sublimate his energy into behavior that won’t necessitate an apology tour.
And as the cases of Shedeur Sanders and several others have shown, NFL teams want neither hero nor heel from young quarterbacks who begin their career on the bench.
Pavia already was under pressure to show he won’t try to skew heavily toward the former label after a college career in which he frequently went his own way. Now he’ll have to show he won’t revert to the latter category, either.
(This story was updated to add a video.)