Diego Pavia bitter about Heisman loss in social media video post
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Vanderbilt football quarterback Diego Pavia came up short at the Heisman Trophy ceremony on Dec. 13, finishing runner-up for the prestigious award to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Pavia wasn’t happy about Mendoza dominating the voting results. After the ceremony, he wrote “(expletive) all the voters” on his Instagram account. He apparently took it even further a few hours later while celebrating with his friends and teammates in New York City.
In a video posted to social media on Dec. 14, Pavia was partying with a sign that read “(expletive) Indiana,” likely referencing how he didn’t win the Heisman. Pavia was also pointing his middle finger toward the sign.
Pavia received 189 first-place votes, which was nearly 500 less than Mendoza’s 643 votes. Pavia finished ahead of fellow finalists Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame and Julian Sayin from Ohio State.
Vanderbilt’s first-ever Heisman finalist, Pavia passed for 3,192 yards with 27 touchdowns to eight interceptions this season, and rushed for 826 yards and nine touchdowns. His 36 total touchdowns led the SEC, and he was named the conference player of the year.
Pavia transferred to Vanderbilt from New Mexico State and led the Commodores to a seven-win season in 2024 after the program won just two games in 2023. He led Vanderbilt to a program-record 10-2 finish in 2025.
Regardless of Pavia’s finish in the Heisman Trophy voting, he still spearheaded a turnaround at a program that has seen little success in its history. Vanderbilt has momentum in football, largely thanks to Pavia.
Pavia will play his final game when Vanderbilt faces Iowa (8-4) in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Dec. 31 in Tampa, Florida.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia bitter on Heisman loss in social media video
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