Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia completed second in Heisman Trophy voting to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
That, after all, is sort of an accomplishment.
However Pavia apparently felt in any other case. After the outcomes have been introduced Saturday in New York, the 23-year-old senior posted a photograph of himself along with his offensive linemen on his Instagram Tales and gave it a profane caption.
“F-ALL THE VOTERS,” Pavia wrote, adopted by a thumbs-down emoji, “BUT ….. FAMILY FOR LIFE”
On Sunday night time, Pavia posted a prolonged apology on X.
“Being a part of the Heisman ceremony last night as a finalist was such an honor,” he wrote. “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.
“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.”
Heisman Trophy finalists, from left to proper, Notre Dame‘s Jeremiah Love, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin pose with the trophy earlier than the award ceremony Dec. 13 in New York.
(Eduardo Munoz Alvarez / Related Press)
Mendoza acquired 643 first-place votes and a pair of,362 general factors to Pavia’s 189 first-place votes and 1,435 factors. Notre Dame working again Jeremiyah Love completed third in voting (46 first place, 719 factors), and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin was fourth (eight first place, 432 factors).
Indiana (13-0) is the highest group within the Faculty Soccer Playoff rankings and can play the Oklahoma-Alabama winner within the Rose Bowl. Mendoza has performed a big position within the Hoosiers’ success. He accomplished 71.5% of his passes for two,980 yards with a national-best 33 landing passes and 6 interceptions. As well as, Mendoza rushed for 240 yards and 6 touchdowns.
“Fernando Mendoza is an elite competitor and a deserving winner of the award,” Pavia wrote. “I have nothing but respect for his accomplishments as well as the success that Jeremiyah and Julian had this season.”
Pavia additionally put up big numbers for Vanderbilt (10-2), which was No. 14 within the ultimate CFP rating and can play Iowa within the ReliaQuest Bowl on Dec. 31. He accomplished 71.2% of his passes for 3,192 yards with 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions and rushed for 826 yards and 9 touchdowns.
A former walk-on at New Mexico Army Institute, Pavia performed two years at New Mexico State earlier than transferring to Vanderbilt in 2024. Main as much as the Heisman ceremony, Pavia declared himself the very best faculty soccer participant of all time. He lately advised Sports activities Illustrated, nevertheless, that his self-confidence shouldn’t be mistaken for vanity.
“As an underdog paying to walk on to JUCO, you kind of have to be your own cheerleader,” Pavia mentioned. “And it just never left my head, to be like ‘Oh I arrived, I don’t need to do that anymore.’”
Pavia mirrored on his previous in his apology publish.
“I’ve been doubted my whole life. Every step of my journey I’ve had to break down doors and fight for myself, because Ive learned that nothing would be handed to me,” he wrote. “My family has always been in my corner, and my teammates, coaches and staff have my six. I love them — I am grateful for them. — and I wouldn’t want anything to distract from that. I look forward to competing in front of my family and with my team one more time in the ReliaQuest Bowl.”
