One voter for the Heisman Trophy called out Diego Pavia after the Vanderbilt quarterback had choice words for the panel based on the returns.
Pavia was a distant second to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, which prompted him to say on social media, “F-All the voters.” He has since apologized.
Chase Goodbread of the Tuscaloosa News was a Heisman voter for this season, so he was indirectly targeted in Pavia’s message.
In a column from Sunday, Goodbread said Pavia’s post was a “punk move” and that the experienced signal-caller is “old enough to know better”:
“Had this been the 19-year-old Johnny Manziel — a Pavia confidant, by the way — an ‘F all the voters’ post on social media would’ve at least been less surprising, if no less classless. But after six years in college, you’d think Pavia would’ve signed up for at least one course in humility by now. The kid-blows-off-steam defense also fails to hold up when one considers the dozens of kids who didn’t; decades worth of disappointed Heisman finalists who managed to leave New York City without leaving behind their dignity like Pavia did.”
Goodbread also asserted that Pavia’s comment was disrespectful toward Mendoza, who had unquestionably put together Heisman-caliber resume.
Pavia wound up earning 189 first-place votes, so he had some support from those weighing in. Mendoza’s 643 first-place votes turned the race into a blowout, though.
Maybe Pavia will channel the frustration from his perceived Heisman snub in a productive way for Vanderbilt’s final game. The Commodores play Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year’s Eve.
