Diego Pavia Reveals His Controversial Source of Advice Ahead of the NFL Draft

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia turns to a football legend for advice ahead of the upcoming NFL Draft.

The polarizing quarterback revealed that he is connected to the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel – having had his own discussions and debates – getting advice and counsel as the draft approaches.

“He gives me what to look for, what it’s like, how to stay in the system,” Pavia told reporters at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Friday, February 28. “And, you know, he gave me good advice, for sure.”

He continued, “And he always helps me, checks on me, makes sure I’m okay, and he’s just like my friend, you know? And so he gives me advice. He’s been close to me, he’s been close to my family. He’s just a great person to those who don’t really know him.

Pavia finished second in voting for this year’s Heisman Trophy – behind quarterback Indiana and the national champion Fernando Mendoza – after putting up impressive numbers in his final year at Vanderbilt. Pavia led the Commodores to a 10-2 season with 3,192 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. He added 826 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.

Similar to Manziel’s story, Pavia’s career has been shrouded in controversy, culminating in the Heisman Trophy ceremony when Pavia posted disparaging messages to Heisman voters and the Indiana football team on his social media. He later apologized for the positions.

Pavia said on Friday that NFL teams did not ask him about the eye-opening news on social media.

“No, they haven’t,” Pavia told reporters. “I just think, not that they don’t care about anything, but they know the situation.”

He continued, “One thing about me is that I don’t care what people think about me. God has a plan for me regardless. But the way the media is, they have to put out clickbait and stuff like that. People get ideas, and that’s how people make money. I understand that. And so people will twist the story and try to put out bad media to get clicks, good media just so we can live today. Adapt to the new world.”

Manziel had his share of problems throughout his college career and in his short NFL career.

His time at Texas A&M was marred by controversy leading up to the 2014 NFL Draft, where he fell to the No. 1 overall pick.

He played in just 14 NFL games — all with the Browns — and was cut by the team after two seasons due to personal issues, including substance abuse.

Manziel has been open about his mental health issues and substance abuse, speaking on the subject of the 2023 Netflix documentary, Unknown: Johnny Ball.

“When I got everything I wanted, I thought I was the most empty I’ve ever felt inside,” he said. “I think I was trying to suppress my feelings and get out of being Johnny Football. [I] I had bought a gun that I knew I would use. I planned to do everything I wanted to do at that time in my life, spend as much money as possible, and then my plan was to kill myself.”

If you or someone you know is emotionally distressed or thinking about suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).