Clark Lea addresses Diego Pavia behavior after Heisman Trophy ceremony

Following last week’s Heisman Trophy ceremony, Diego Pavia issued a lengthy apology for his behavior. Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea also addressed the situation Thursday.

Pavia made waves following the Heisman ceremony after Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza won the prestigious award. He posted “F- all the voters” on his Instagram story and was seen at a post-ceremony party with a sign that read, “F*** Indiana” written.

Speaking with reporters Thursday, Lea said he appreciated Pavia’s apology for his actions. He also pointed out his quarterback’s story, coming from New Mexico Military Institute and becoming one of the Heisman runner-up.

“I regretted the fact that he put that out there, and I appreciated his apology,” Lea said. “This is such an example of the way – I mean, this kid has had an unbelievable career. It’s an amazing story. He got up into the point where he was reaching a childhood dream and he fell just short. And there’s so much goodness in that. In a moment of emotion, he posted something that – we are in charge and responsible for our perception in the world. That’s just the reality. That’s something we talk about in his program.

“But the idea that he’s been battling against doubters and feels like he’s constantly having to prove himself, that’s not new to him. But what is always true to Diego is the people in his corner, those that he’s closest with, they have his heart. That’s our program. So in a moment where I think he was trying to communicate that, he used words that sent the wrong message, that don’t align with our program and don’t align with who he is. And we make mistakes.”

Clark Lea: ‘I think it’s a great learning moment’

Clark Lea added he hoped the situation could be a learning moment for Diego Pavia, which is why he called for “grace” in light of the events following the Heisman ceremony. He pointed to Pavia’s competitive spirit, which was on full display during his two years at Vanderbilt.

“Certainly, I’m glad that I didn’t have social media access when I was 23 because I’m sure I would have had to apologize for a number of things in my emotional state, too,” Lea said. “I think we need to give him a lot of grace, I think we need to allow this to be a growth moment for him and what he understands completely is, there are ripple effects and consequences to those things.

“But what we love about Diego is his passion, his belief, his competitive edge. We’ve celebrated that for two years here, and it went past a line coming out of that Heisman ceremony. And he apologized for it. So we’re going to allow him to move on from it and I’m going to move on from it. Again, I think it’s a great learning moment, and we totally support him and believe in him.”

Diego Pavia put together a standout 2025 season at Vanderbilt after securing another year of eligibility. He not only threw for 3,192 yards and 27 touchdowns, but added 826 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground as a true dual-threat.