‘God Has a Plan For Me’: Diego Pavia Turns to The Almighty After Rock-Bottom Phase Resurfaces

The Vanderbilt Commodores- perennially the bridesmaid, never quite the bride. Barring some sparse moments of prominence, the program has historically been ancillary to their “bigger” SEC compatriots. They are often an afterthought in the conference, even more so after the Longhorns’ entry. This historic precedence changed in 2024 to a great extent. The key instigator was QB Diego Pavia.

From getting no offers from any D1 schools in the country to beating the Alabama Crimson Tide, Diego Pavia has seen it all. He’s captivated fans of all persuasions across the CFB sphere this season. In part with his arm, and in part with his story. Pavia’s upward traversal along the rungs of the figurative football ladder is inspirational. He began as a JUCO athlete, earned a shot in D1 football via New Mexico State, and ruffled some feathers all the way into becoming a sensation in the southeast. Diego Pavia credits his rise to finding his faith along the tumultuous journey.

In an interview on the ZenGame YouTube channel, Pavia was asked to give advice to fellow athletes who may be in a similar situation to where he was at the onset. He said, “God has a plan for you, as long as you stick to the fundamentals and basics. Just really work, work your ass off. Anything is possible. You can see it through me. God has a plan for me. He has a vision for me. The only reason why he didn’t want me to go straight out of high school and play division 1 football was because I didn’t really have a close relationship with him. So just work on [your] relationship with God and he’ll guide you where you want to be. Just let him know, open your heart up to him. Just let him do his magic. It’s crazy what he can do.”

Diego Pavia also shared an anecdote from his past, which helped him put things into perspective. They say the night is darkest before dawn. As cliche as that may sound, it rings true for Pavia. He was asked about the lowest moment of his career and how his faith helped him overcome it.

A reminiscent Pavia said, “My lowest during this journey was when we were 1-5 in [New] Mexico State. I wasn’t playing. It was just like a really, really low moment. I didn’t know what to do. People were saying I wasn’t good enough. I still believed I was good enough. My arm was kind of hurting, and I just went back home for a break because one of my brother’s bestfriend had passed away.”

That break did it for Diego. He added, “So I went back and we just kind of sat around and just talked, and I kind of gained my confidence back. Of who I was and who I am. I literally told them that night, ‘If they give me another shot, I’m gonna take it over.’ Like, never gonna look back and not take it for granted. So ever since then, you know, I was able to bounce back and double down on my faith. Just believe in [God], trust in him. Look where I’m at now.”

As inspirational as it is, Diego Pavia’s proverbial rags-to-riches story is not at all linear. He is still going through adversity.

Diego Pavia takes on the powers that be in an attempt to elongate his fairytale run

Diego Pavia is currently in a lawsuit with the NCAA. His demand is straightforward- further college eligibility. He sued the association, citing that his stint in JUCO football shouldn’t count against his eligibility since he had no reasonable NIL opportunities to benefit from.

A hearing in the case went down earlier this week. Pavia’s lawyers stated that he stood to earn over $1 Million from NIL, thanks to Vandy’s bowl-eligible status, among other factors. A life-altering amount of money for a college kid. The court didn’t reach a verdict during the hearing. The lawsuit is expected to reach a resolution before the transfer portal closes on December 28.

With his devout faith and unwavering self-confidence garnered over time, Pavia will trust things to work out. Vandy could do much worse than line up with him under center, that’s for certain. CFB fans hope this Cinderella story will be extended for a year.