I’m combining Sonny Jurgensen and Billy Kilmer because: A) They were most notorious when they played together for the Washington Redskins, and B) I was a teammate back in those days and have first-hand knowledge of some of these stories.
Sonny was a bit older than Billy and played his college ball at Duke. What is so impressive about both of these legends is their athleticism. They each played both ways and they both played other sports. Sonny was a defensive back at Duke before he played QB. In 1954 he tied a team record by intercepting a pass in four consecutive games. In 1955 he would be a two-way starter. Upon graduation in 1956 his career QB numbers were a bit baffling considering his pending HOF NFL career: a mere 1,119 passing yards with 6 TD passes against a whopping 16 pics. On defense he posted 10 career interceptions.
Compare that to Billy who matriculated at UCLA. He wasn’t a “pure” Quarterback in college as UCLA played him as a single-wing Quarterback/Tailback. In the single-wing offense the QB would pass, run, and even kick. In 1960, his senior year, Billy passed for over 1,000 yards, ran for over 800 yards, and scored 8 TDs. He was an All-American and finished 5th in the Heisman Trophy voting. Billy was also a starting guard on the UCLA basketball team for coach John Wooden.
Pro Football
Sonny was a bit of a late bloomer. He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 4th round of the 1957 draft, and from 1957 to 1960 Sonny was the backup QB to Norm Van Brocklin. After The Dutchman’s retirement Sonny broke into the starting lineup in a big way. In 1961 he passed for an NFL record 3,723 yards and tied an NFL record with 32 TD passes.
Sonny had a big arm and lightening release. A little side-arm with his delivery, but he was fearless in the pocket. I’m still trying to figure out why Duke featured him on defense?!
Billy, on the other hand, was picked in the 1st round (11th pick) by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1961 draft. The 49ers leveraged his single-wing skills and Billy rushed for 509 yards and 10 TDs his rookie year. But in 1962 Kilmer fell asleep at the wheel of his Chevrolet and drove off the Bayshore Freeway into the San Francisco Bay. He so severely fractured his leg that there was an initial concern it might require an amputation. It would take Billy almost two years to rehabilitate from the injury, which led to his shift from running back to Quarterback.
Sonny’s Road to the Redskins
Sonny was traded from the Eagles to the Washington Redskins (I refuse to call them the Commanders) in 1964. He would start every game save one from 1964 through 1966 and continued to dazzle with his unique passing skills. In 1967 Jurgensen set new NFL standards (breaking his own records) of 3,747 yards passing and 288 completions.
In 1969 the Redskins hired the legendary coach Vince Lombardi out of retirement. Lombardi’s goal for Sonny was to work off Sonny’s “soft-belly” beer gut and get the most out of his talented QB. Lombardi’s discipline paid off as Sonny lead the NFL in completions, completion percentage and passing yards. The Redskins finished 7-5-2, but Lombardi succumbed to colon cancer in September of 1970 at age 57. Said Lombardi of his QB, “He hangs in there under adverse conditions. He may be the best the league has ever seen. He is the best I have seen.” Sonny would confirm many times that the feeling was mutual.
Billy’s Road to the Redskins
Billy, would be taken in the NFL expansion draft by the New Orleans Saints in 1967. Over his four years with the Saints he started about half of the games. His exploits included a game vs the St Louis Cardinals in 1969 when Kilmer passed for 345 yards and 6 TDs (yes six !) in a 51-42 loss. On November 8, 1970 Kilmer led what proved to be a game-wining drive that only reached his own 44 yard line. Huh? With just one play left in the game, and his team down 17-16 to the Detroit Lions, kicker Tom Dempsey was summoned to attempt a 63-yard field goal (Recall goalposts back then were on the goal-line). Dempsey made the kick, which broke the NFL record by 7 yards. There have only been two longer field goals in the NFL since then.
But the Saints would finish a dismal 2-11-1 and amid rumors that New Orleans would draft Ole Miss star Archie Manning in the 1971 draft Kilmer requested to be traded. Saint’s owner, John Mecom Jr already possessed the opinion that Kilmer’s late-hour visits to a long list of New Orleans bars was not in the best interests of anyone. In fact, Kilmer had been arrested once for being intoxicated during the season. On January 23, 1971 Kilmer was traded to the Washington Redskins and was the first trade the team made after George Allen replaced Bill Austin as coach. Thus began George Allen’s “Over-the-hill-gang” Redskins era.
Teammates, Not Adversaries
It also launched a very special and life-long bond between Sonny Jurgensen and Billy Kilmer. It was presumed Kilmer was brought in as the backup to the future Hall of Famer Jurgensen. But, Sonny would suffer a shoulder injury in the 1971 pre-season and Billy would step in as QB1. For most of the next four seasons Sonny would be the backup to Billy.
Redskin fans immediately polarized into one of two groups. Those displaying “I like Billy” or “I like Sonny” bumper stickers. Two completely divergent styles of play with Billy now the “lunch-bucket” blue collar QB with the wobbly passes vs the classic tight-spiral gun-slinging style of Jurgensen. In many bars across Washington DC it was believed the dueling QBs were fierce rivals. Nothing could be farther from the truth as both Quarterbacks were team oriented and pulled for each other at every opportunity.
Hanging Out in the Same Saloons
In 1971 Washington would finish the season at 9-4-1 and make the playoffs for the first time since 1945. It only took one season for Kilmer’s Redskin teammates to come up with the nickname “Ole Whiskey”. Frankly, most of us just called him “Whiskey”.
During the ’71 season Kilmer famously caused a stir when he unsuccessfully tried to pay for a cup of coffee with a $100 dollar bill one late night at an Arlington coffee shop. The cops showed up and after Billy said “If you think I’m wrong, put me in jail!” That’s just what they did. He was bailed out the next day just in time to lead the Redskins into the playoffs against San Francisco. Billy endeared himself to the city when he told the waitress she could keep the $100 bucks as a tip.
The “Over-the-hill gang” would hit their zenith in 1972 when they went 11-3 and won the NFC East. Billy would start 10 games and go 7-3 while Sonny started 4 and went a clean 4-0. The two QBs would take the Redskins to their first Super Bowl and lose a hard fought game to the Miami Dolphins 14-7.
Billy and Sonny split duties until Sonny’s retirement at age 40 in 1974. The Redskins would go 11-3, 10-4 and 10-4 over their last three years sharing the QB duties. As Kilmer was quoted as saying, “We knew it was a good thing – and it didn’t hurt that we hung out in the same saloons.”
Meeting Whiskey
I met Billy for the first time in his last NFL season in 1978. When I first arrived in the Redskin locker room the Over-the-Hill gang was still intact and it wasn’t exactly an easy environment to make friends, but the first guy to walk over and introduce himself was Billy Kilmer. He knew I could possibly be his replacement at some point, but he unselfishly reached out to make me feel at home. In fact, after a few days he insisted I check out of the hotel the team had arranged and move into his house. Billy epitomized the definition of a “team player.”
Through Billy I met Sonny. Why not, they were always holding court in the same saloons! By this time Sonny was the color commentator of the Redskins radio broadcasts. Jurgensen loved to tell the story of how he walked into a Georgetown bar one night and sidled up to the bartender and whispered, “Hey Mac, how about finding me some dope?” According to Sonny, ten minutes later the guy came back with Kilmer!
But the all-time Bad Boy story I have on Billy Kilmer occurred during that 1978 season. Billy was the starting QB with Joe Theisman as QB2 when I arrived from the Falcons. The team started fast at 6-0 and got to 8-3 before losing our final five games and missing the playoffs.
Pier 66
In October of the ’78 season Billy got this crazy idea that a small group of us should take advantage of an extra day off and spend three days at his kick-ass house on Pier 66 in Ft Lauderdale. Yes, Florida.
Since we were playing the Baltimore Colts on the following Monday Night we would have two off days (Monday and Tuesday) following our Sunday game at home vs the 49ers. Billy figured we could fly down immediately following the game at RFK Stadium and spend a couple of nights at his place before flying back to DC for practice Weds.
Quite honestly, this was a pretty outrageous plan. Flying to the beach during an NFL season is not a great career-building concept, but Billy’s closest pals were all leaders on the team, so I gave a quick, “I’m in!” The other guys were all charter members of the “Over-the-hill gang,” including Jake Scott, Diron Talbert, Ron McDole and Terry Hermeling.
Near the end of the Sunday game we were up on the 49ers 38-20 and Billy started calling out my name… “Kimmie, Kimmie!” (He’s the only guy I ever let call me that!) My first thought was I may be going in the game to mop up, but instead Billy grabbed me and said, “Make sure you get showered and out of that locker room fast! We have a plane to catch!” Right.
Semi-Pro
Naturally, we had a limo waiting for us at RFK to run us over to National airport to catch our flight. Pronto. Actually, we were a few minutes late. The plane was full but we had the last 6 seats in the back. We ran to the gate where Piedmont Airlines was actually holding the plane waiting for the Redskins. As we entered the plane, Billy first, we started getting an ovation from the passengers. Remember, this team had been to the Super Bowl a few years earlier and Washington DC was still crazy about its Redskins. Plus we had just crushed the 49ers.
So we got buckled in and all four of the plane’s “stewardesses” (they were not yet known as flight attendants) were getting autographs and asking if we’d like a drink. And another. And another. We’re drinking Billy’s cocktail of choice: Gin & Tonics. Turns out there is a delay so the rounds kept coming.
Then I made a fatal mistake. When the very attractive stewardess came by for, like, our 4th or 5th round I simply said, “I’ll sit this one out,” to which she blurts out, “Oh! You must not be a pro, you must be a semi-pro!” Ugh. In front of the Over-the-hill gang! Well, after the laughter and abuse died down it was established from that day on, I was known as “Semi.” I haven’t seen Billy in years but I’ll guarantee you if I ran into him today he would hug me and exclaim, “Hello, Semi!”
Pete & Lenny’s
When we landed in Ft Lauderale around 7pm, Billy had his personal valet waiting with an SUV. This is now after about 20 G & Ts and, rest assured, I didn’t miss another round. Billy instructs our driver to not go to the house but steer us directly to a place called Pete & Lenny’s. Pete & Lenny’s was a VERY hot disco in Ft Lauderdale. It was also frequented by a crowd who knew its football and many of the patrons recognized Billy and Jake Scott who had been an All-Pro safety for the Dolphins prior to joining the Skins.
We were all getting the proper amount of attention and having a great time. Billy, who had thrown two TD passes in the win over the 49ers, was just starting to feel his cups. Suddenly he bolted out on the dance floor and began to dance… by himself! The entire dance floor cleared out and people were ringing the perimeter of the dance floor clapping, singing, and chanting “Billy, Billy.” After about five solo dances the tank was finally empty and Billy Kilmer collapsed on the floor. Passed out!
Everyone was cheering and I’m figuring the night is over when Jake and Diron grabbed me and said, “Hey Semi, take Billy outside and throw him in the back of the SUV.” Which I did with the help of our valet. I got the impression he had done it before. I made sure Billy was comfortable and hopped back into the club for a few more hours of partying until they closed the place up and kicked us out. Ole Whiskey was still peacefully snoring in the back of the SUV on the ride home.
By the time we arrived back in DC for Wednesday practice our crew was full of Tylenol, coffee and ready to hit the steam room! There was a whole lot more to that crazy weekend, but you need to buy me a gin & tonic to get the rest.
Hail to the Redskins!
The following year 1979 The Redskins waived Billy Kilmer and he retired after 16 glorious years in the NFL, but it wasn’t the last I heard from Billy nor Sonny. The following training camp at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA was shaping up nicely for me. The Redskins had decided Joe Theisman and I would get equal time across our 6 pre-season games so I was fired up. On the first Saturday night at Dickinson I was in my dorm room with roommate Teddy Fritsch. At about 2 a.m we were awakened to some commotion down the hall that was getting louder and coming our way. What the F _ _ _?
It sounded like two drunks singing the Redskins fight song!!?? “Hail to the Redskins, Hail Victory, Braves on the warpath, fight for old DC!! “ My door burst open and there, blue to the gills, are the two greatest Quarterbacks to ever play for the Washington Redskins. Arm-in-arm they sat on my bed and offered me a nightcap, which I delicately declined. You know, old “Semi” can’t run with these guys.
But Billy and Sonny proceeded, for the next hour or two, to lecture me on how to win the starting Quarterback job with the Redskins. It was priceless. Unfortunately for me, the job went to Joe T. Maybe I should have had a few pops with those old war horses? Two of the best Bad Boys you could ever meet.
Brett Favre
Brett Favre may be the baddest “Bad Boy” of the bunch. But he started out as the Quarterback you just wanted to love. From rural Kiln, Mississippi and the son of two school teachers, Brett Favre took the only scholarship offered to him and enrolled at Southern Miss. By the third game of his freshman year against Tulane, Favre would start the second half and never look back. Although there were rumors that he was suffering from a hangover and vomiting during pre-game warmups, he would overcome his misery and toss two TD passes in the second half to win the game.
And so the legend was launched, with a rocket arm and warrior mentality, Brett Favre would be known for leading Southern Miss to upset wins over the likes of #6 Florida State and his famous comeback win over #13 Alabama his senior year. ‘Bama coach Gene Stallings would say, “You can call it a miracle or a legend or whatever you want to. I just know that on that day, Brett Favre was larger than life.”
Jerry Glanville Not a Fan
Brett Favre, with the boyish gleam in his eye and the backbone of a combat veteran, graduated to the NFL in the 1991 draft. The Atlanta Falcons selected Favre with the first pick of the 2nd round (#33). But it was not to be. Coach Jerry Glanville was not buying Favre’s act nor his approach to the game. Said Glanville, “It would take a plane crash” for him to put Favre in the game. In fact, Brett threw only four passes for the Falcons and two were picked off, including a pic six!
Falcons’ Loss is Packers’ Gain!
The GM of the Green Bay Packers, Ron Wolf, was enamored with Brett Favre. He was convinced Brett had the star power to bring the Packers back to the top of the NFL, so Wolf sent off a first round draft choice to the Falcons and brought Favre to Green Bay. It didn’t take long for the Packers to benefit from Wolf’s bold but prescient move. In 1992 Favre replaced an injured Don “Magic Man” Majkowski in the second half of the second game of the season. In the third game, Brett again subbed for an injured Majkowski and pitched a game-winning pass to Kitrick Taylor with 13 seconds on the clock.
Iron Man
Brett Favre started his first NFL game the very next week vs the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he held the QB1 job for the Packers for the next 16 seasons. In fact, that game started a streak of 321 consecutive starts (297 regular season and 24 playoff games) for Favre that would establish a new NFL record.
Imagine his threshold for pain? In an era when “within the grasp” didn’t exist and offensive linemen were not allowed to use their hands to protect QBs like today. This Iron Man record will probably never be topped as the NFL has expanded to a 17 game season plus an expanded playoff structure since Favre’s retirement in 2010. The attrition on QBs is at an all-time high as only nine Quarterbacks started every game for their team in 2023.
The Gunslinger!
In 1993, Favre’s second year with the Packers, he took the team to a 9-7 record and their first appearance in the post season since 1982. Along the way he completed 60.9% of his passes for 3,303 yards and 19 TDs. But there were 24 interceptions, something that would dog Favre his entire career. You see, there was never a window too tight for Favre. He believed in his skills and his huge cannon of an arm. It led John Madden to be one of the first to call Brett Favre a true “Gunslinger.”
You Can’t Fake These Stats
Over his 16 year career with the Packers he would lead the team to two Super Bowls including the 35-21 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXl. Along the way Brett would be the first and (still) only winner of three consecutive NFL MVP awards, the first Quarterback to pass for over 70,000 yards, 10,000 attempts, 500 TDs and, of course, 336 interceptions. He is also the first Quarterback in league history to defeat all 32 NFL teams. Brett received 11 Pro-Bowl selections and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
Uh Oh!
As much as the fans loved Brett Favre he couldn’t shake his Bad Boy reputation. There are scores of Brett Favre drinking stories and, in fact, the NFL temporarily banned Brett from drinking alcohol in 1996. You see, those 321 consecutive starts came with a price. Playing through pain, Brett admitted in 1996 that he was addicted to Vicodin and he spent 46 days at a drug rehab clinic before the 1996 season. Brett Favre would shake his addition to painkillers but not to alcohol.
And then there is the story that Favre actually “gifted” Giant’s DE Michael Strahan a sack at the end of the 2001 season. Strahan needed one more sack to set the NFL record (22.5) for most sacks in a season. With the Giants up 34-25 Favre either changed the play at the line of scrimmage, or didn’t change the play (it’s debatable) and ran out towards Strahan on a naked bootleg. The QB fell at the feet of Strahan for a sack. Brett Favre claimed he was trying to evade Strahan, but when the play was over Brett stood up and awarded the ball to Michael. Bad Boy!
From “Bad Boy” to Just Plain Ugly
Towards the end of Brett’s career, the boyish and swashbuckling-type stories gave way to serious issues of judgement. Most notorious of which was the scandal in 2008 while with the Jets. Favre failed to cooperate with NFL investigators looking into a charge that Favre sent former Jets employee Jenn Sterger multiple and unsolicited photos of his penis while they were both working for the Jets. Good grief! The NFL fined Favre $50,000. It’s unclear if Sterger and Favre settled the dispute.
Then there was a lawsuit by two massage therapists (are you listening Deshaun?) while with the Jets in 2008 over allegedly sexually suggestive text messages sent by Favre. This was not an isolated case. There were other accusations. Probably the saddest of all is the scandal Brett Favre is now enmeshed in with the state of Mississippi. Basically, it’s about millions of dollars in welfare funds that allegedly were improperly diverted to build a volleyball stadium at Southern Miss where Brett’s daughter was a volleyball player.
Entitlements?
The worst part of it is that apparently Favre received $ millions in speaking fees that went unfulfilled. Meaning, Brett took the money but never made the speeches. The money was diverted to the stadium fund. As Charles Robinson reported back in 2022 for Yahoo sports, “At best, he looks like a liar who played a part in diverting millions of dollars away from the poorest Mississippians so that a volleyball stadium could be built.”
Robinson goes on to say, “…in the balance is Favre’s good ol’ Mississippi reputation, which has always framed him as the small-town kid who made it big and never forgot his roots.” Robinson adds, “But there is another troubling part of all this – the reality that Brett Favre has appeared to skate on a number of questionable issues over the years, while maintaining his largely undiminished iconic stature in the NFL.”
Paying the Price
While Brett Favre has paid back over $1million of the speaking fee money, the investigation about potential misuse of taxpayer dollars continues with the US Congress and the House Ways and Means Committee on Capitol Hill. On September 24, 2024 during his testimony, Brett Favre revealed he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. When asked in 2018 how many concussions he suffered, Favre said he only knows of “three or four” but believes he could have suffered “more than 1,000 concussions” during his 20 year NFL career.
A thousand? Probably not, but research says that having a single concussion increases the risk of developing Parkinsons by 57% and having multiple concussions further compounds the risk.
We wish Brett Favre well in both his courtroom battles (if deserved) as well as his fight against Parkinsons. We long for the Bad Boy gleam in his eye after threading an impossibly tight window for yet another touchdown pass to win the game. But, as WR Phil Elliott (Nick Nolte) says to his Head Coach in the NFL satire North Dallas Forty after he is suspended by the team for violating the ethics code of his contract, “You are right B.A. It’s time to put childish things aside… I quit.”
I’m afraid “Bad Boy” just doesn’t fit Brett Favre anymore. He’s lost his boyish charm. It’s gone way too far… perhaps with Brett it always did?
Back to Diego Pavia
Who is Diego Pavia and how did he burst onto the national scene as our latest Bad Boy QB?
Volcano High: A School or State of Mind?
It is certainly fitting that Vanderbilt’s QB Diego Pavia hails from Volcano Vista High, because whether he is playing against Alabama, Ball State, or Texas, Diego is explosive and at times controversial.
In high school he was not a prospect that jumped out at college recruiters. He was at best, 5’10 and 170 lbs (he is now listed on the Vanderbilt roster at 6’0 200 lbs.), but he was always tough as evidenced by Pavia’s three trips to the New Mexico high school state championship wrestling finals. In his third and final appearance his senior year he won the state title.
At Volcano Vista High for his career he completed a modest 108 passes for 1,485 yards and 14 TDs. He rushed for another 464 yards and 9 TDs. Dual-threat? Sure. But there were very few “stars” attached to his recruiting profile and Diego received exactly zero scholarship offers from D-l universities. One recruiter went so far as to tell Pavia’s head coach that the kid was “arrogant.”
JUCO
But the coaching staff at JC New Mexico Military Institute liked what they saw in Pavia. The OC, Chase Kyser, sold the idea of Pavia enrolling at NMMI to head coach Joe Forchtner. It was not necessarily an easy sell when Diego showed up on campus with badly bleached blonde hair, earrings, and gold chains around his tank top.
Ralph Russo of The NY Times wrote that Diego Pavia credits his mom for instilling in him a simple philosophy; if you want something, you work for it. Said Diego, “My mom, she’s hard-hat, lunch-pail. She grew up with 13 brothers and sisters in a single home.” Russo adds that later in life Pavia realized those nights his mother said she wasn’t hungry and ate only a little at dinner, she was simply making sure her kids had enough to eat.
Diego Pavia started eating defenses at NMMI where he led his team to a Bowl game his first season and the JUCO national championship in his second and final season. Said Coach Forchtner of Diego, “What set him apart from everybody, and I think still does, is that everybody just rallies around him, you know, when he’s on the field, everybody believes.”
Diego Proves his Bones
Diego finished at NMMI with 2,644 yards passing for 31 TDs against only 4 pics and rushed for another 1,107 yards and 15 TDs. In the JUCO national championship game, Diego threw for two TDs and ran for another in the 31-13 victory. His performance caught the eye of New Mexico State’s head coach Jerry Kill and OC Tim Beck who offered Pavia the elusive NCAA scholarship he so desperately sought.
Pavia transferred in as a sophomore with three years of eligibility (including an additional COVID year). In his first year with the Aggies he started 8 games and went 4-4 with 13 TD passes and another 6 TDs rushing. In 2023, his second year, Diego took full control and led the team to a 10-5 record including a loss to Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl. Diego posted impressive stats with a 60.4% completion rate and 2,973 yards passing, 26 TD passes and another 7 TD rushing.
Not all Wine and Roses
There were some “Bad Boy” speed bumps along the way. In September of 2023 a video surfaced on social media of Diego Pavia urinating on the practice field at the University of New Mexico’s indoor practice facility. Of course, the New Mexico Lobos are the arch-rivals of Pavia’s New Mexico State University and Pavia was relieving himself right on the Lobos’ logo at mid-field. It should be noted this is an artificial turf surface. For several months coach Jerry Kill stayed silent on the matter, other than to say Pavia had been disciplined.
Later, sketchy details emerged. Pavia said the incident occurred before the regular season. He also said he felt “disrespected” when UNM coaches told him during recruiting that Pavia “…was not good enough to play for the Lobos. When the thing happened, it was a big distraction to the team, so I apologized to the team. After that, I feel like we got even closer as a group and ever since we’ve been on a roll.” In fact, after the video surfaced, New Mexico State beat rival University of New Mexico 27-17 and then proceeded to win 8 straight games.
Hulk Hogan?
The biggest win during the 8 game streak was New Mexico State’s upset of Auburn 31-10. It is fair to say New Mexico State is a football program with a rather modest legacy; only 6 bowl game appearances and only 4 bowl wins in its history. So beating Auburn, an iconic SEC school with a rich history on the national scene, is arguably New Mexico State’s biggest victory in the history of the program. And of course Diego Pavia was right in the center of it.
Not only did Diego complete 19 of 28 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns on the road at Auburn, but he made a lasting impression on the man who became his next head coach: Clark Lea of Vanderbilt. How?
Well, Diego started a brawl in the first half of the Auburn game. After throwing an interception, Pavia was so enraged he chased down the Auburn linebacker and not only made the tackle, but suplexed him (think wrestling body-slam) right in front of the Auburn bench. All hell broke loose and Pavia was the only player hit with a personal foul penalty, but his message to Auburn and his team mates was clear, “We’re not intimated by anyone!” Naturally, the video went viral as has Diego Pavia’s Bad Boy reputation.
How do you Change a Culture?
How did Diego Pavia make an impression on the head coach at Vanderbilt? Well, Coach Clark Lea was looking for a change. The Commodores had suffered through ten straight losing seasons and and a ten game losing streak at the end of 2023. Clark Lea believed Vanderbilt needed a cultural change as well as a schematic change to its offense.
In 2023 Vanderbilt lost to Auburn 31-15. Two weeks later New Mexico State pulled the Auburn upset 31-10. As Lea would say to ESPN, “I probably watched the NMS/ Auburn game nine times… I was fascinated with what (a win like that) looked like. What were the markings of that team that allowed them to separate in that game? I expected to turn on the film and see some overlooked 6-foot-6 Quarterback slinging the ball everywhere.”
Instead he saw a team coached by Jerry Kill and offensive co-ordinator Tim Beck who had changed the football narrative at the New Mexico State University. The Aggies had gone 2-10 in 2021 and the program had won more than three games in a season only once since 2010. But in 2023 Jerry Kill, his staff, and his Quarterback went 10-5. New Mexico State was physically tough and mentally prepared to beat anyone. It was exactly the kind of change Clark Lea wanted to introduce to Vanderbilt.
Vandy Gets a Makeover
At the same time, Jerry Kill was contemplating retirement. He had been fighting through some draining medical issues, but in December Clark Lea made Jerry Kill an offer he couldn’t refuse. He would oversee the Vanderbilt offense and act as a mentor to his established OC Tim Beck while Clark Lea concentrated on the Commodores defense. In the end, along with Kill and Beck, three other NMS coaches joined the migration to Nashville to develop that elusive winning culture.
One More Important Piece
Diego Pavia was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year after passing for 2,973 yards and 26 TD passes, along with 928 yards rushing and 7 more TDs. Upon learning that his coaching staff was leaving, Diego immediately entered the transfer portal and started visiting campuses. He called Tim Beck from Nevada to say he was going to sign with The Wolf Pack. Five minutes later Jerry Kill called Diego Pavia and said, “Hey son, I’m headed to Vanderbilt as the offensive head coach and I already told everyone you’re coming with me, so I’ll see you there.”
Instant impact
Pavia transferred to Vandy in June 2024. In week one of the 2024 season Pavia and the Commodores surprised college football by knocking off Virginia Tech 34-27 in overtime. Diego threw for 2 TDs and ran for another. The win officially ended Vanderbilt’s ten game losing streak from 2023 and put the country on notice. Four weeks later the Commodores turned the college football world upside down with the victory over Alabama 40-35.
“Turnt”
Of course it wouldn’t be a real Diego Pavia game without some fireworks. Said Diego following the upset, “God’s timing. Literally from the jump. God gave me a vision when I was a little kid and he don’t let (me) back away from any promises. It’s God’s time.” Then perhaps forgetting himself he blurted out on national TV, “Look at this. Vanderbilt, we are fucking turnt!”
Indeed you are, Diego. On October 20th, Vanderbilt achieved their first AP Top 25 ranking since 2013. On November 2nd with yet another Diego Pavia win over Auburn, the Commodores became Bowl eligible for the first time in 6 years. Of course the SEC schedule is unforgiving and Vandy, now sitting at 6-4 (3-3), still has LSU and Tennessee remaining.
More Diego?
Naturally, Diego Pavia keeps making headlines. Just days ago Pavia filed a lawsuit against the NCAA over its rules limiting the eligibility of former junior college players after transferring to a Division l school. His position is that NCAA rules unjustifiably restrain athletes’ abilities to earn money under the name, image, and likeness rules (NIL). Diego and his lawyers are seeking two more years of eligibility through the 2027 season to allow for a redshirt season. He argues that the rule limiting JC transfers to only two years of eligibility at D-l schools is “wrongfully limited.”
On its face the lawsuit seems like an uphill battle. But it is true that athletes can attend a prep school for one year following high school as a post-graduate (PG) student-athlete and still retain full NCAA eligibility (four years) while junior college student-athletes are only allowed two years of D-l collegiate eligibility. There is an inequity for JC student-athletes.
Gotta Love this Dog!
The NCAA has suffered a string of losses in court, including the 9-0 decision by the Supreme Court in 2021 which ruled that the NCAA cannot limit education-related benefits colleges offer their student-athletes. Meaning, NIL money is now legal.
So while I’d say Diego Pavia is the under-dog on this one, what’s new, right? I’m not betting against this QB Bad Boy and I’d love to see another one or two years of Diego defying the odds at the highest level of college football. Either way, I hope you agree that Diego Pavia belongs in the QB Bad Boy Hall of Fame !