Former NFL star explains why Diego Pavia wasn’t drafted

TL;DR

Diego Pavia, despite being a top contender for the Heisman and SEC Offensive Player of the Year, went undrafted. Tyrann Mathieu suggests Pavia's celebrity status may have distracted him from football.

Key points

Diego Pavia was a top Heisman contender.
He was named SEC Offensive Player of the Year.
Pavia went undrafted in the NFL draft.
Tyrann Mathieu commented on Pavia's celebrity status.

Mentioned in this story

Diego PaviaTyrann Mathieu

Now that the draft is over, discussions have turned to what may be the most shocking event of the whole draft: Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia not being drafted.

Pavia finished second in Heisman voting behind Fernando Mendoza and was named SEC Offensive Player of the Year; however, he went undrafted, and people are questioning why.

Tyrann Mathieu, also known as the “Honey Badger,” explained on a recent podcast why he thought Pavia went undrafted.

Mathieu thinks he was too busy being a celebrity to concentrate on football.

“He’s just a little bit sidetracked,” Mathieu. “He’s been on too many podcasts for me. Too many UFC fights, too many drunk photos. That’s not what people want to see at the next level.”

The reality is, however, that Pavia is not the average size of an NFL quarterback, but some teams may have been willing to overlook those things if it wasn’t for his attitude.

Pavia’s statement after losing the Heisman didn’t exactly put him in a positive light and may have hurt him with NFL scouts. Pavia sees himself as the next Johnny Manziel, and in some ways, he is.

However, NFL scouts were able to overlook Manziel’s faults because of his talent; in this case, it appears they weren’t able to do so with Pavia.

It wasn’t all bad news for Pavia; he did get an invite to the Baltimore Ravens minicamp.

This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Former NFL star explains why Diego Pavia wasn’t drafted

Q&A

Why wasn't Diego Pavia drafted in the NFL?

Diego Pavia went undrafted despite his accolades, with Tyrann Mathieu suggesting his celebrity status may have distracted him from focusing on football.

What awards did Diego Pavia receive before the NFL draft?

Diego Pavia was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year and finished second in Heisman voting behind Fernando Mendoza.

Who is Tyrann Mathieu and what did he say about Pavia?

Tyrann Mathieu, known as the 'Honey Badger,' commented on a podcast that Pavia's celebrity lifestyle might have hindered his football focus, contributing to his undrafted status.