Diego Pavia fires back at Senior Bowl height listing originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Diego Pavia isn’t shying away from the number next to his name in Mobile.
Measured at 5-foot-9 and 7/8 inches at the Senior Bowl, the former Vanderbilt quarterback knows his official height will follow him throughout the NFL draft process. It already has sparked conversation among scouts, but Pavia made it clear the measurement won’t define him.
“I just want to show it don’t matter what size you are,” Pavia said via ESPN’s Pete Thamel. “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight. It’s the size of the fight in the dog.”
The Senior Bowl provides prospects with far more than practice reps. Measurements, interviews and medical evaluations often carry just as much weight as on-field performance. For quarterbacks, height has long been scrutinized, and Pavia even joked that the Senior Bowl “kinda screwed me” with its official listing.
NFL teams have grown more comfortable with shorter quarterbacks in recent years. Kyler Murray and Bryce Young both faced similar questions after checking in around 5-foot-10 before eventually becoming No. 1 overall picks. Pavia is not projected to be selected that high, but he believes his production speaks loudly.
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He threw for 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns while completing more than 70 percent of his passes last season, adding 862 rushing yards and 10 scores on the ground. Pavia also remains confident his resume will earn him a chance.
“When has the last SEC player of the year not been drafted?” he said. “The tape speaks for itself.”
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