Heisman Trophy runner-up Diego Pavia is apologizing for a vulgar outburst attacking those who voted to put him in second place for the trophy this year.
The Vanderbilt quarterback was clearly ticked off when he lost the trophy to Indiana University quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Pavia was so ticked off that he immediately jumped on social media to write, “F*** all the voters” who voted against him.
Now, the QB is apologizing for his outburst.
“Being a part of the Heisman ceremony [Saturday] night as a finalist was such an honor,” Pavia said, according to the New York Post. “As a competitor, just like in everything I do, I wanted to win. To be so close to my dream and come up short was painful. 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. It was a mistake, and I am sorry.”
Pavia praised Mendoza as an “elite competitor and a deserving winner of the award.”
“I’ve been doubted my whole life,” Pavia added. “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. I look forward to competing in front of my family and with my team one more time in the ReliaQuest Bowl.”
The Vanderbilt player had a very large number of voters to sneer at. The final vote wasn’t even close, with 643 voting for Mendoza and only 189 voting for Pavia, putting the Vanderbilt QB in a very distant second place.
Despite his sense of self-worth, Pavia does not appear to be a sought-after NFL prospect. He is expected to stand for the 2026 NFL Draft, but he is not among Kipper’s top ten college quarterbacks.
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