Quarterback Diego Pavia blames media for 'clickbait' coverage of his behavior during Heisman Trophy weekend in New York
INDIANAPOLIS – Remember that Diego Pavia crashout during Heisman Trophy weekend that led to him being criticized by fans and even mentor Johnny Manziel, of all people, and had the Vanderbilt University quarterback later apologizing for his behavior?
Yeah, that contrite and wiser Pavia wasn't available for comment Friday when he talked to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (QB14) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images
"I know there's a lot out there," Pavia told reporters gathered for his media session. "But I just want everyone to know what's true about me is I'm humble and I get my confidence from my process. And if you saw how much I put into this, you'd see where I get my confidence.
"I feel like a lot of teams like the nasty, the fight in me. I'm an underdog, that's for sure. And so, yeah, they ask questions but you look at my record. There ain't nothing on my record."
Nobody said Pavia has any sort of criminal record, if that's what he was referencing. But he does have to live with his reputation for sometimes causing challenges within his own team, to the point he even admits he was sometimes "crossing the line at practice," and "I wasn't the perfect child, the perfect college athlete."
But what NFL teams are more concerned about is his maturity.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) imitates the Heisman Trophy pose with fans after defeating Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025.
And that maturity, or lack of, put an uncomfortable spotlight on Pavia during Heisman weekend in New York. Fans criticized him for wearing ear buds and not being attentive when he was meeting them.
And, of course, when he didn't win the award, Pavia released the now infamous "F–k all the voters…" post on Instagram.
That led Maziel to talk about how Pavia's weekend "went too far."
And it led Pavia, or a publicist on his behalf, to release an apology "for being disrespectful."
But the publicist wasn't with Pavia here at the podium on Friday. So he made it seem as if it was the media that did him dirty somehow.
INDIANAPOLIS – Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (QB14) walks to the wrong podium before speaking to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on Feb. 27, 2026. Photo: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images
"The way the media is, they're supposed to put out clickbait and things like that," Pavia said. "That's how people get views and that's how people make money. I understand that. And so people will twist a story and put out bad news to get clicks, good news to get clicks.
"That's the day we live in. I'm just adjusting to the new world."
It's impossible to know right now how Pavia handled questions about his maturity with clubs. That eventually will leak in the coming weeks.
But the way he handled it with reporters didn't exactly show growth.
"[Vanderbilt] coach [Clark] Lea always preached that your frontal lobe isn't fully developed until you're 25," Pavia said, "and I just turned 24. So I got, like 360 more days to go."
Armando Salguero is a national award-winning columnist and is OutKick’s Senior NFL Writer. He has covered the NFL since 1990 and is a selector for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and a voter for the Associated Press All-Pro Team and Awards. Salguero, selected a top 10 columnist by the APSE, has worked for the Miami Herald, Miami News, Palm Beach Post and ESPN as a national reporter. He has also hosted morning drive radio shows in South Florida.
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