Vanderbilt Commodores registered a 10-2 season, thanks in large part to their starting quarterback Diego Pavia, who was announced as one of the four finalists alongside Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, and Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love, for the 2025 Heisman Trophy.
Before the Heisman winner is announced on Saturday, let’s get to know about Pavia’s ethnicity and his background.
Diego Pavia Ethnicity
Diego Pavia was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is of Hispanic descent. According to the New York Times, his mother Antoinette Padilla’s family hails from Spain while his father Roel Pavia’s family is from Mexico. Pavia has three siblings: two older brothers (Roel Jr. and Javier) and a younger sister (Abrielle).
Pavia went to Volcano Vista High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He then went to play JUCO football at New Mexico Military Institute. His college football journey began at New Mexico State in 2022, before he transferred to Vanderbilt in 2024.
Pavia has openly spoken about his mother, Antoinette, who has been a central figure in the quarterback’s upbringing. She raised Diego and his siblings as a single mother and often made sacrifices to make sure her family stayed fed.
“I didn’t grow up with a whole lot. My mom’s a single mom, and she’s the backbone of our family. When I didn’t have a whole lot, it was like, ‘What’s my way out?’” Pavia said.
Despite having zero Division I offers to begin with, Pavia’s mother always knew that her son would eventually make it to the top.
“I always felt like Diego was going to make it. He was always a warrior. One parent used to say, ‘All he needs to do is throw the ball up and catch it. He does everything else on the team.’ He played defense. He played offense,” Antoinette said.
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