Heisman Trophy Runner-Up Diego Pavia Apologizes After Bashing Voters and Winner Fernando Mendoza

Diego Pavia is apologizing after losing out on the Heisman.

The Vanderbilt quarterback — who came in second to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza in the voting  — looked tense in the moments before it was announced that the Indiana quarterback won on Saturday, Dec. 13.

And his frustration boiled over to his social media afterwards, in a post on his Instagram Stories.

“F-All the voters, but…family for life,” Pavia, 23, wrote with a thumbs-down emoji, over a photo of himself and his Commodore teammates.

The former New Mexico Military Institute quarterback was also reportedly at a club hours after the ceremony, where he was seen in a video next to a sign that read “F— Indiana.”

The signal-caller’s bitterness soon gave way to seeming remorse a day later.

“Being a part of the Heisman ceremony last night as a finalist was such an honor,” he wrote in part on X. “As a competitor, just like in everything I do I wanted to win. To be so close to my dream and come up short was painful. I didn’t handle those emotions well at all and did not represent myself the way I wanted to. I have much love and respect for the Heisman voters and the selection process, and I apologize for being disrespectful. It was a mistake, and I am sorry.”

Pavia also praised Mendoza and the two other finalists, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin.

“Fernando Mendoza is an elite competitor and a deserving winner of the award,” he wrote. “I have nothing but respect for his accomplishments as well as the success that Jeremiyah and Julian had this season.”

Pavia finished second in the Heisman voting, with 1,435 total points to Mendoza’s 2,362. The New Mexico native received 189 first-place votes to the Hoosiers’ star’s 643.

In social media chatter amid his unsportsmanlike conduct, Pavia’s listed height was also second-guessed. While the Commodores roster lists the player at 6′ O”, Pavia stood several inches shorter than Love, who is also listed as 6′ O”, in photos leading up to the ceremony.

Mendoza, meanwhile, took the high road in his emotional acceptance speech after winning the award.

The Miami, Fla. native thanked his fellow finalists, as well as his coaches, teammates and family members.

In an interview with PEOPLE last week, the former Cal standout was humble about the Heisman buzz.

“It feels surreal,” he said about his chance to nab the honor. “You know, I never thought I’d be here … Like, who would’ve thought? But you know, it’s great, and it’s a great honor.”