Clark Lea addresses Diego Pavia’s reaction to Heisman disappointment
By David Wasson
Published:
Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea has taken Commodores fans on a 2-year journey from SEC irrelevance to the precipice of a College Football Playoff berth and a Heisman Trophy winner.
In the wake of star quarterback Diego Pavia finishing second in the 2025 Heisman Trophy race to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Pavia caught major flak for what many felt was disrespect shown toward Mendoza and Heisman voters. Reacting to the voting while in New York for the Heisman ceremony, Pavia posted a profanity-laced message on social media and was later seen partying with a sign that called out Indiana.
Pavia has since apologized for the missteps. Lea took a moment on Thursday to defend his star quarterback.
“He put that out there and I appreciate his apology,” Lea said to reporters. “This kid has had an unbelievable career. It is an amazing story and he got up to the point where he was reaching a childhood dream and fell just short. There is so much goodness in that. And in a moment of emotion, he posted something … we are in charge and are responsible for our perception in this world.
“The idea that he’s been battling against doubters and feels like he is constantly having to prove himself – that’s not new to him. But what is always true to Diego is the people in his corner, the people closest with, they have his heart. In a moment he was trying to communicate that, he used words that sent the wrong message and that don’t align with our program and don’t align with who he is. And we make mistakes.”
Lea, Pavia, and Vanderbilt (10-2) take on Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year’s Eve (noon ET, ESPN).
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
