Former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia was named the Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s College Football Player of the Year, and Clark Lea was named College Football Coach of the Year on May 4.
Pavia, who recently participated in the Baltimore Ravens rookie minicamp as an undrafted free agent, was the National Player of the Year by The Sporting News and CBS Sports, and runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting. He was the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner and a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, Maxwell Player of the Year, and the Manning Awards Player of the Year.
Pavia signed a three-year free-agent deal with Baltimore on April 28.
Pavia threw for 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns and rushed for 862 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year after leading Vanderbilt to a 10-3 record. He made the All-SEC team by the league’s coaches and the Associated Press.
In his fifth season at Vanderbilt, Lea was named the FWAA Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year and the American Football Coaches Association Region 2 Coach of the Year. He was a finalist for the Walter Camp, AFCA, George Munger, Paul “Bear” Bryant, and Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year awards.
Lea was selected SEC Coach of the Year by the league’s head coaches and the Associated Press after leading the Commodores to back-to-back postseason bowl appearances.
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