Heisman runner-up Diego Pavia has message for Heisman voters

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Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia did something he not only might soon regret but could also make things more difficult for himself as he gets ready to transition into the NFL.

After losing out on the Heisman Trophy to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza on Saturday night, Dec. 13, Pavia took to social media and in his Instagram story, re-posted a picture of himself with his offensive line at the Heisman ceremony in New York City, along with a caption that read, “F-ALL THE VOTERS, BUT….FAMILY FOR LIFE.”

The post included a “thumbs down” emoji, which only applies here because it was an immature and potentially dangerous thing for him to do. It certainly didn’t help his image, and it is sure to draw additional scrutiny from NFL teams looking for quarterback help in the 2026 draft.

Instead of showing good sportsmanship, Pavia’s post will go down as a careless act of pure selfishness.

Mendoza, who led the Hoosiers to a 13-0 season, the Big Ten title and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, finished with 2,362 points and 643 first-place votes in Heisman balloting. Pavia, who led the Commodores to their first 10-win season in school history and finished second among all FBS players in total yards per game (334.8), finished runner-up with 1,435 points and 189 first-place votes.

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love finished third, and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin finished fourth.

Mendoza’s margin of victory is the biggest since 2021, when Alabama quarterback Bryce Young had over 1,300 more points than Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who finished runner-up.

Vanderbilt had a combined 12-45 record in the four seasons before Pavia transferred in from New Mexico State. Vandy went 17-9 in his two seasons there. The Commodores wrap up their season against Missouri in the Relia-Quest Bowl on Dec. 31. Pavia, meanwhile, has accepted an invitation to participate in the Senior Bowl on Jan. 31 in Mobile, Alabama.

That gives Pavia a couple of opportunities to repair his reputation before the nitpicking begins for real by the folks in the NFL.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Heisman runner-up made an immature decision on Instagram

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