Exclusive: Diego Pavia Details 2024 Health Struggles, Explains Why He'd Play Through Severe Injury

Diego Pavia had taken his fair share of hits in Vanderbilt’s first five games of 2024, but it all appeared to catch up to him when Kentucky defensive lineman Deone Walker “kinda sat” on the Vanderbilt quarterback’s leg in the Commodores 20-13 win over the Wildcats. 

Pavia finished off that game while Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said that short of amputation his quarterback would try to be out there, but even college football’s seemingly immortal like Pavia have to deal with human bodies being human bodies. 

After Pavia’s run in with Walker, he says it was “difficult” to ever get back to 100%. Things improved for Pavia ahead of Vanderbilt’s run in with Georgia Tech in the Birmingham Bowl, but a trained eye watching him closely could tell that something was still off. 

“After the Kentucky game,” Pavia said in regards to the turning point for his health,“That’s when I really got hurt.” 

Perhaps Pavia had to uncharacteristically pull up out of bounds here or there and didn’t have the same burst that he did in the opening month of the season, but he was still out there gutting it out. 

A week on the sideline in Vanderbilt’s eventual win over Ball State–which directly followed its win over Kentucky–could’ve provided Pavia’s body some relief as Vanderbilt entered the homestretch of its season, but taking that game off wouldn’t have been like him. If Pavia weren’t so insistent on being himself, he likely wouldn’t be here. He could still be in junior college rather than being the star of SEC Media Days. 

So, he did what Diego Pavia would do and grinded through the rest of the season. He would’ve done it even if things were more severe, too. 

“I’m not going to let the fans down,” Pavia told Vandy on SI in an exclusive walk-and-talk interview at SEC Media Days. “I don’t care if it’s a torn MCL, torn ACL. I’d still play for the fans. I would just do anything to go out there and compete on a Saturday. You never know when it’s your last time, so I give them my all.”

Any certified doctor in America would likely advise Pavia from playing with any of the aforementioned injures, but the Vanderbilt quarterback would push for any potential chance for clearance. That’s who he is. That’s why he wouldn’t admit how poor his health really was in the moment.

Vanderbilt left Lexington 4-2, but went just 3-4 the rest of the way while its offense was seemingly figured out down the stretch.  

Some of that was obviously a result of first-year offensive coordinator Tim Beck’s unorthodox scheme becoming more familiar to SEC opponents and Vanderbilt's lack of downfield playmakers coming to light, but perhaps more of it had to do with Pavia’s lack of health. 

“He was beat up,” Lea said. “When we got him back healthy for the bowl game, he was able to show how he can take a game over.” 

Pavia went for five total touchdowns in that game before hoisting the Birmingham Bowl trophy and demonstrating that he’s still the quarterback he proved to be in the early portion of the season. He and Lea know that in order to fulfill the expectations that they’ve set for themselves, Pavia has to be healthy most of the way. 

Lea has done his part by upgrading Vanderbilt’s offensive line–which he says is the best group of his tenure–but Pavia believes he has a role in this, too. 

“Injuries do happen,” he said, “But, I’ve just gotta stay in the training room.”