After narrowly missing out on the Heisman Trophy, Diego Pavia made his feelings clear as he exited the race.
The Vanderbilt quarterback sent a blunt message to the voters following Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who claimed the prestigious award in New York City on Saturday night.
Pavia shared a photo with some of his Commodores teammates on social media, adding a pointed remark directed at those who overlooked him.
“Dear voters, but family for life,” he wrote, tacking on a thumbs-down emoji.
The 23-year-old quarterback finished significantly behind Mendoza, who led the Hoosiers to a flawless 13-0 season, clinching the Big Ten title and earning a top seed in the College Football Playoff.
Out of 930 votes cast, Mendoza garnered 643 first-place votes while Pavia received just 189.
Pavia’s reaction wasn’t particularly surprising. Back in November, he had already staked his claim for the Heisman, confidently declaring that both his performance and stats positioned him as “arguably the best player in college football.”
“Well, the Heisman Trophy winner goes to the best player in college football,” Pavia noted during a taping of “Hot Mic” with Hutton & Withrow. “I believe that to be myself. I should check the numbers. There are two things that don’t lie: the numbers and the tape. I was taught from a young age, ‘Go and check it.’ I feel like I’m definitely the best player in college football.”
Pavia threw for 3,192 yards, with 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions, helping the Commodores achieve a 10-2 record and a No. 14 national rank. While he surpassed Mendoza and Ohio State’s Julian Sane in yardage, he had fewer touchdowns and more interceptions than either quarterback.
His completion percentage stood at 71.2%, the lowest of the three players considered.
Perhaps Pavia’s unwavering confidence might have put off voters long before he issued his remarks about their decisions.
