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Diego Pavia isn’t backing down from anyone and he’s letting NFL scouts know.
The Vanderbilt quarterback showed up to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis with the same chip on his shoulder from his historic season with the Commodores. He’ll be pitching for scouts on Saturday, and if you’re expecting a toned-down version of Fabia, you haven’t been paying attention.
“One thing about me is that I don’t care what people think of me,” Pavia said. Fair enough if you just led Vanderbilt. 10-3 record – First 10-win season in program history.
He pinned his critics, too. According to Pavia, much of the noise around it comes from media outlets chasing “clickbait.” Whether it’s fair or not, there’s no doubt that he became one of the most talked-about players in college football last season.
Some of it depends on the person.
Pavia, who finished second in Heisman Trophy voting, posted “F-All THE VOTERS” on social media, a move that required a public apology. His energy on the field and his swagger combined to make him a man that people either loved or couldn’t stand.
But Pavia was convinced that those same strengths were what made him effective at Vanderbilt. His confidence, he explained, comes from overlooking his entire football career. He started out in junior college and continued to grow, proving the doubters wrong at every point.
“I think a lot of teams like persistence and fighting,” he said. “The life of the underdog is clear. So they ask questions. But if you go back and look at my record, there’s nothing on my record.”
His performance was not wrong. The results speak for themselves. Nonetheless, NFL teams will have concerns beyond his personality. The biggest? Pavia measures 5ft 10This is a significant hurdle for quarterbacks trying to advance to the next level.
Height has been an issue for many QB prospects before, and Pavia knows the questions are coming. His answer is simple. watch the movie
“It’s not like we don’t play first- and second-round (picks) in the SEC on Saturdays,” Pavia said. “So the SEC and the Big Ten probably have the most players being drafted in the first and second rounds, so we’re playing those guys and nothing’s going to change.”
He added that his confidence was not achieved through arrogance, but through his hard work behind the scenes.
“I want everyone to know that I am humble and gain confidence from my process,” Pavia said. “And when you see how much effort I put into this, you can see where I get my confidence from.”
It remains to be seen whether NFL teams will accept it. But one thing is for sure: Diego Fabia wouldn’t change who he is for anyone.
Kyler Murray and the Cardinals have not spoken, refuting the GM.
