Diego Pavia 'Sent the Wrong Message' with Viral NSFW Heisman Post, Vanderbilt HC Says

Vanderbilt head football coach Clark Lea showed support for quarterback Diego Pavia but acknowledged his social media message after not winning the Heisman Trophy was an unfortunate decision.

"I regretted the fact that he put that out there. I appreciated his apology," Lea told reporters Thursday. "… The idea that he's been battling against doubters and feels like he's constantly having to prove himself, that's not new to him. But what is always true to Diego is the people in his corner, those he is closest with, they have his heart. 

"That's our program. And in a moment where I think he was trying to communicate that, he used words that sent the wrong message that don't align with our program and don't align with who he is."

After Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy, Pavia posted a message on social media that said, "F all the voters, but family for life."

He then apologized for his message and said, in part, "To be so close to my dream and come up short was painful. I didn't handle those emotions well at all and did not represent myself the way I wanted to."

Pavia's message drew plenty of criticism, including from Chase Goodbread of the Tuscaloosa News, who was a Heisman voter for this season.

"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," Goodbread wrote while also calling it a "punk move" in a column. "But after six years in college, you'd think Pavia would've signed up for at least one course in humility by now."

While Pavia did not accomplish his goal of winning the Heisman Trophy and made waves in the aftermath, he still took home the SEC Offensive Player of the Year with an incredible individual effort this season.

He completed 71.2 percent of his passes for 3,192 yards, 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions while adding 826 yards and nine scores on the ground.

Vanderbilt went 10-2 and won double-digit games for the first time in program history thanks in large part to his efforts.