Quarterback Diego Pavia burst onto the national scene last season with the Vanderbilt Commodores. After two seasons with New Mexico State, Pavia joined the Commodores and had an immediate impact. While he did not lead the team to a College Football Playoff appearance, he led them to one of the biggest upsets of the year.
In the fifth game of the season last year, Pavia led the Commodores to a 40-35 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide. It was a huge moment and helped propel the Commodores for the next stretch of the season. While they faded in the final games of the year, it was an impressive first year in the SEC for Pavia. Now, heading into his second year with the team, Pavia has high expectations for himself.
On Tuesday, “SEC Football: Any Given Saturday” was released on Netflix. In episode three, Pavia was one of the featured athletes. He spoke about how he was an underdog in high school and at lower college levels before getting his shot in the SEC last season.
“I got measured at 5′ 9″ and seven-eighths actually, always had doubters, like he can do it because it’s high school,” Pavia said (9:20). “I played at New Mexico military junior college, and we won a national championship, and then New Mexico State recruited me, trying to take a shot deep.”
Diego Pavia Speaks About His Mindset When He Joined Vanderbilt Last Year
Diego Pavia had a few quotes in the Netflix documentary that got Vanderbilt fans excited. Notably, during one of his interviews, he spoke about his mentality when he joined the Commodores. He explained the lengths he would go to succeed.
“Gonna be the best ever to walk the Earth,” Diego Pavia said. “When I first got here, they told me I wasn’t able to work out at three in the morning. I would sneak in the weight room and I would jam it open. Broke the door, in a sense, and it would never really close. I would lift. If you tell me I can’t do it, I’ll do it tight in front of your face. Sometimes people don’t understand that I’m really just wired different.”
“Gonna be the best to ever walk the earth.”
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia is simply built different 😤@SEC Football: Any Given Saturday is now playing. pic.twitter.com/FwAoKkh3Bo
— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) August 5, 2025
Diego Pavia and the Vanderbilt Commodores will start their season on Aug. 30 against Charleston Southern.
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