Stephen HolderFeb 27, 2026, 11:02 AM ET
- Stephen joined ESPN in 2022, covering the Indianapolis Colts and NFL at large. Stephen finished first place in column writing in the 2015 Indiana Associated Press Media Editors competition, and he is a previous top-10 winner in explanatory journalism in the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest. He has chronicled the NFL since 2005, covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2005-2013 and the Colts since 2013. He has previously worked for the Miami Herald, Tampa Bay Times, Indianapolis Star and The Athletic.
INDIANAPOLIS -- Quarterback Diego Pavia wasn't fazed by criticism at Vanderbilt, and it doesn't appear that's going to change now that he's on the NFL's doorstep.
The NFL draft prospect hasn't toned things down during the NFL combine, where he said he'll throw for scouts on Saturday.
"One thing about me is I don't care what people think about me," said Pavia, who led the Commodores to a 10-3 record, the first 10-win season in school history.
Criticism of him, he said, is the product of the media generating what he described as "clickbait."
But Pavia certainly became a polarizing figure in 2025, in part because of his exuberance and in part because of his reaction to the Heisman Trophy balloting. The Heisman runner-up had to issue an apology after posting a message that included "F-All THE VOTERS" on social media.
But Pavia said his demeanor and approach are what made him a good leader at Vanderbilt. And his confidence, he said, comes from being constantly counted out in life, including when he started his career in junior college.
That has turned out to be a credit to him in his quest to make it in the NFL, he said.
"I feel like a lot of teams love the tenacity, the fight," he said. "The life of an underdog, that's for sure. And, so, they ask questions. But you go back, you look at my record, ain't nothing on my record."
He added, "I just want everyone to know what's true about me is I'm humble and I get my confidence from my process. And if you saw how much I put into this, you would see where I get my confidence."
Another thing NFL teams will need to weigh is Pavia's lack of size. He measures under 5-foot-10, a big detriment at the position in the NFL. But playing at that size against elite competition is nothing new, he said.
"I would just say turn on the tape," Pavia said. "It's not like we're not playing these guys that are going first-round, second-round [picks] on Saturdays in the SEC. So, the SEC and the Big Ten probably have the most guys getting drafted in the first, second round. So, we're playing those guys and ain't nothing going to change."
