Heisman finalist makes his pitch to NFL franchises: ‘I’ll die for the team’ – PennLive.com

Former Vanderbilt star and Heisman finalist Diego Pavia spent last week at the Senior Bowl trying to impress NFL scouts.
Pavia wasn’t the biggest quarterback at the Senior Bowl and he doesn’t have the strongest arm among quarterbacks in this year’s NFL Draft.
With that said, he is still plenty confident in his abilities.
“That I’m the best player in the country,“ Diego Pavia told Simone Eli when asked what he was hoping to prove at the Senior Bowl. ”You get me, you’re going to get someone who’s a winner, a competitor, a leader. And someone who doesn’t take no for an answer."
It’s hard to argue with Pavia’s resume. He took a Vanderbilt program that was stuck at the bottom of the SEC and turned it into a borderline College Football Playoff team this past season.
However, he also measured in at just under 5-foot-10 at the Senior Bowl, which certainly isn’t going to help his draft stock.
Diego Pavia isn’t worried about when he gets selected or where he gets drafted to. He simply wants an opportunity to play in the NFL and is ready to prove himself once he gets it.
“I’m a grinder. That’s all I’ve ever known my whole life,” Pavia said. “[NFL teams have] put me on the board; they’ve heard my story. I’ve told them my story, just about my upbringing, just the sports that I’ve played and things like that.”
Pavia completed nearly 71 percent of his passes this past season and threw for 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns, with 8 interceptions. He also rushed for 862 yards and 10 scores.
He believes his game translates to the NFL and is ready to show it.
“I hope someone gets me. And the team that gets me, I’m going to do everything I can in my willpower. I’ll die for the team,” Pavia said.
Matt Connolly is a Sports Trending Reporter for PennLive, writing about the NFL, college sports and other topics. He has covered college football and college basketball since 2010 and was on the Clemson beat… more
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