Albuquerque, NM(KKOB) – Albuquerque’s Diego Pavia has been named a finalist for the Heisman trophy as one of the top athletes in country in college football. Pavia, who played locally at Volcano Vista High School and is now a senior at Vanderbilt University, was named as a finalist along with University of Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza; Ohio State University quarterback Julian Sayin; and Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love. Pavia first played college football at New Mexico Military Institute, then transferred to New Mexico State University where he played two years under former coach Jerry Kill. After Kill left NMSU for Vanderbilt, Pavia followed him and landed the starting QB position with the Commodores.
Pavia led Vanderbilt to their first 10 win season in school history and setting school records with 27 passing touchdowns and throwing for over 3,000 yards. The last New Mexico player selected as a Heisman Trophy finalist was Jim Everett in 1985, who played at Purdue University and was a graduate of Eldorado High School in Albuquerque.
An historic moment for Heisman Trophy history, is that Pavia along with Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, become the first two Latino college football players to be named finalists the same year.
Another New Mexico connection to the Heisman Trophy, is that of former Oakland Raiders quarterback Jim Plunkett, whose parents were both from New Mexico. Plunkett’s father, William Gutierrez Plunkett, was born in Albuquerque and his mother, Carmen Blea, was born in Santa Fe. Plunkett, who was born and raised in San Jose, CA, was the first and only Latino to win the Heisman Trophy, along with two Super Bowl championships as quarterback for the Oakland and later Los Angeles Raiders.
