{"id":714689,"date":"2026-01-29T19:39:14","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T19:39:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/714689\/"},"modified":"2026-01-29T19:39:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T19:39:14","slug":"senior-bowl-interview-qb-diego-pavia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/714689\/","title":{"rendered":"Senior Bowl interview: QB Diego Pavia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia had a great college career.<\/p>\n

This past season, he threw for 3,539 yards and tossed 29 touchdowns, which led the SEC. His completion percentage was an amazing 70.6%. That also led the SEC. Yet, draft sites and scouts aren\u2019t giving him any love regarding April\u2019s NFL draft.<\/p>\n

He is ranked #178. That is the very bottom of the fourth round.<\/p>\n

RELATED: CARDINALS TO HOST MIKE LAFLEUR FOR SECOND INTERVIEW<\/a><\/p>\n

Vanderbilt finished their 2025 season with a 10-3-0 record and one game out of first place in the conference with a 6-2-0 mark. But they couldn\u2019t beat Texas and Alabama in critical conference play. However, they did thump their rival, Tennessee 45-24.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Getty Images<\/p>\n

Pavia placed second in the Heisman Award balloting. He was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year and won the Unitas Golden Arm Award.<\/p>\n

Yet, his Vanderbilt media guide states he is 6\u2019-0\u201d and weighs 207 pounds. Now a participant at the Panini Senior Bowl, the first bit of business is to weigh and measure players. And they measure almost everything. For Pavia? 5\u2019-9 7\/8\u201d and 198 pounds. In person, he looks it.<\/p>\n

One thing a great QB needs is the ability to see over his own offensive linemen and the height of the defensive line, trying to plant him into the turf.<\/p>\n

Pavia took the difficult road to success. He and his three siblings were raised by a single mom who worked two jobs. He grew up in the desolate section of South Valley in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It wasn\u2019t murder central, but it was up there per capita.<\/p>\n

Revenge of the Birds staff writer Barry Shuck is at the Senior Bowl this week. He interviewed Pavia at this event as one of six quarterbacks in attendance.<\/p>\n

QB Diego Pavia (5\u2019-10\u201d, 198 pounds)<\/p>\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n

Shuck: Starting out at the JUCO level, you led New Mexico Military Institute to the National Championship in 2021, then you headed to New Mexico State. What were your beginning stages like?<\/p>\n

Pavia: Coming out of high school, I didn\u2019t have any offers. Coach (Jerry) Kill took a chance on me. It was my first FBS offer, although Coach Prime gave me an offer to become the backup at Jackson State. In my first big college game, I didn\u2019t play well but finished the season winning some games. The next year, we went 10-1. But when I hit the transfer portal, no one wanted me. Washington State and Nevada finally offered.<\/p>\n

Shuck: How did you end up at Vanderbilt, which is an all-academics school?<\/p>\n

Pavia: I had to go back to New Mexico State and take 21 credits in the spring and pass all of them in order to play in the fall. I had committed to Nevada, but Coach Kill called me from a vacation in Mexico and told me he was going to Vanderbilt and would be taking me with him. I am a loyal dude. He took a chance on me once, and so I had to take the opportunity.<\/p>\n

Shuck: The NFL has this size\/height stigma about quarterbacks. At Vandy, you played at a Heisman level. Why wouldn\u2019t an NFL draft you and see what you can do on the field first?<\/p>\n

Pavia: I can win wherever I go. Just give me a chance. I just want an opportunity. That\u2019s just how I feel, deep inside. I\u2019m a true competitor. At all costs, I\u2019m going to beat you out. It\u2019s a testament to wrestling.<\/p>\n

Shuck: You are a very humble man. You finally get to winning at Vandy, and the accolades begin. How were you able to remain modest?<\/p>\n

Pacia: I do yoga and grounding, and it would bring me back to earth. I would live on a high Saturday night and Sunday film study. So, on Monday, I would do yoga. After that, transition and reset.<\/p>\n

\"National<\/a><\/p>\n

National Team QB Diego Pavia (2) of Vanderbilt Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Shuck: NFL teams are physical tool entities. What is your selling point to them, and what do you want to prove here at the Senior Bowl?<\/p>\n

Pavia: What I can do is rally the troops, and let\u2019s bang on Sunday. Us versus you, and see who\u2019s better. And I have what it takes between the ears. I know when to check plays, I know what\u2019s coming, I know pre-snap. I study a lot of film.<\/p>\n

Shuck: You are known to be a confident guy. What\u2019s your vision for what comes next?<\/p>\n

Pavia: I think one thing, is all I can ask for is a fair opportunity. That\u2019s all I want. I\u2019m a competitor, and this is all I have ever dreamed of as a kid, playing football. Obviously, it\u2019s going to be up to a GM or a head coach. I\u2019m going to give it all I got and earn the respect of the people in the locker room.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia had a great college career. This past season, he threw for 3,539 yards and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":714690,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2078],"tags":[375,390,2757,2604,1327,7,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-714689","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arizona-cardinals","8":"tag-arizona","9":"tag-arizona-cardinals","10":"tag-arizona-cardinals-draft","11":"tag-arizonacardinals","12":"tag-cardinals","13":"tag-football","14":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115980087109391645","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/714689","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=714689"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/714689\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/714690"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=714689"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=714689"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=714689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}