Why Theo Von is Drawn to Vanderbilt Football

NASHVILLE – He is one of the more unlikely, yet one of the more entertaining fans of Vanderbilt football.

Celebrity comedian Theo Von has been vocal about his fandom for Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea and his team ever since Vanderbilt took down No. 1 Alabama 40-35 in the 2024 season. And his presence around the Commodores has only increased.

Von was seen around the team during fall camp in August and even gave a speech to the team with popular streamer IShowSpeed. Throughout the season, Von has been on the sidelines of nearly every home football game for Vanderbilt this season. The only one he was not on the sidelines for was Vanderbilt’s 55-35 win over Utah State on Sep. 27.

So, what is it about Vanderbilt football that draws a celebrity like Theo Von in for about a full year at this point? And what does he like most about the team?

“I like that they got a lot of dogs, but they got to stay in line. Other programs, you can get out of line a little bit more it feels like. Here, these guys got to lock in,” Von told Vandy On SI.

Vanderbilt football’s “dog” mentality is all built upon toughness and the new Vanderbilt standard that Lea has implemented. In two short years, the program has gone from 2-10 to now a 6-1 start to the season. From the laughingstock of college football to a serious playoff contender. Lea has created something that nobody has ever attributed to Vanderbilt football: a standard of toughness, pride and excellence. In fact, one could argue people still have not accepted the reality that college football fans are currently living in when it comes to Vanderbilt football.

Of all schools to build something special, Vanderbilt cannot possibly be a possibility for that, right? Wrong. And in just a couple short years, the program is already attracting some of the more well-known pop culture celebrities to games.

But even more so, there is an aspect of the Commodores that Von really likes about them: the underdog mentality.

“They're the eternal underdogs I feel like. And so it's a lot of work to do that. I just admire their work ethic and their energy. They seem pretty level headed. They got a good group of dudes over there,” Von said.

As much of a differing personality that Theo Von has compared to the coaching staff, the two sides certainly are on the same page in terms of embracing the underdog mentality. Even now that Vanderbilt has risen to relevancy in the sport, fans still seem to have a difficult time taking the Commodores seriously. After the loss to Alabama on Oct. 4, it seemed that many people jumped off the Vanderbilt bandwagon and that the Commodores were just some Cinderella story waiting to fall off.

But that is not at all what happened. Right after the loss, Vanderbilt got back to work during the bye week and the week leading up to its matchup against No. 10 LSU. Despite Vanderbilt being the favorites in the game, there were still some fans who were skeptical. After all, how could a brand like LSU and a highly ranked team like the Tigers ever be doubted against Vanderbilt?

But yet again, the Commodores proved to the college football world that they were not just a fun little story with their 31-24 win over LSU. They have proven that they can compete with the top teams and that they here to stay as long as the standard stays the standard.

Heading into this week's home matchup against No. 15 Missouri, it is not confirmed yet if Von will be at the game in Nashville Saturday afternoon. But given he was able to be present for the majority of home games this fall, there is a good chance he could be in FirstBank Stadium. One thing is for sure: Vanderbilt could not ask for a better stage to be on this week as ESPN's "College Gameday" rolls into town for a game against the Tigers that has serious playoff implications.

The one question that remains is will Von stick around in the post-Diego Pavia era of Vanderbilt football. It is possible he could stick around, or he may end up finding a new team to cheer for. But however long his Commodore fandom lasts, the players enjoy his presence around the team and his support.

“Everyone has their own opinion on Theo, but Theo’s a good dude,” Vanderbilt defensive lineman Joshua Singh said. “He loves being here. He loves supporting the team. He’s just like one of the bros on the team. It’s been cool having him.”

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