Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia issued a lengthy apology on Sunday evening after posting a photo of himself to Instagram with the caption ‘F-All the voters” in response to finishing as the runner-up in Heisman Trophy voting to Indiana signal-caller Fernando Mendoza:
“Being a part of the Heisman ceremony last night as a finalist was such an honor. 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,” Pavia wrote in a post on X. “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 did receive 189 first-place votes out of a possible 930, but Mendoza ultimately won this easily, taking home 643 first-place votes and 2,362 total points to the Vanderbilt star’s 1,435.
Pavia played two years at New Mexico State before transferring to Vanderbilt for the next two. He’s been a program changer for the Commodores and just completed 71.2 percent of his passes for 3,192 yards, 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions. In addition, Pavia rushed for 826 yards and nine more scores.
Thanks in part to his efforts, Vanderbilt went 10-2 and stayed in the College Football Playoff picture for nearly all of the season before falling just short and ending 14th in the CFP rankings.
Pavia certainly had a great case for the Heisman, and it’s easy to see why he was considered a runner-up.
In the end, the fact that Mendoza quarterbacks the nation’s No. 1 team certainly helps, especially given that Indiana just went 13-0 and won the Big Ten Championship Game over previous No. 1 Ohio State.
However, Mendoza is excellent in his own right, completing 71.5 percent of passes for 33 touchdowns (six interceptions) and 2,980 yards. He added 240 rushing yards and six more touchdowns.
Ultimately, the Heisman race is now over, but Pavia has other things to look forward to, including his team’s ReliaQuest Bowl appearance against No. 23 Iowa, the Senior Bowl and the NFL draft process as he transitions to the pros.