Diego Pavia threw for 160 yards, ran for 86 more, and scored two touchdowns in the No. 17 Vanderbilt Commodores’ 31-24 win over the No. 10 LSU Tigers on Saturday.
Pavia even called his own shot during the game, hitting the Heisman pose and paying homage to previous winner Johnny Manziel.
Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia hit the Heisman and paid homage to Johnny Manziel 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ukQZ67VIDs
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 18, 2025
After the game ended, Pavia spoke with ESPN/ABC’s sideline reporter. However, after he left the field, he didn’t talk with the media in the locker room or via a press conference as one would expect.
According to ON3’s Pete Nakos, Vanderbilt’s communications department told reporters, “He’s not able to.”
Diego Pavia is not doing postgame interviews.
Per Vandy communications, “He’s not able to.” https://t.co/ip93oydyjD
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) October 18, 2025
It’s unclear precisely what that means, though it is unusual for a team’s star player not to be made available following a big win.
According to SEC rules, both the head coach and select players are made available to the media in a designated interview area after a cooling-off period following a game. Media members may also be granted access to the locker room area for interviews, though the methods and availabilities are up to the school.
The reason for Pavia’s media absence may turn out to be benign, but it’s still odd.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.