Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia found himself in the middle of a viral moment during the 2026 Senior Bowl. While Vanderbilt’s official roster had him listed at a solid 6’0″, the official scouts’ measurement came back at just 5’9 7/8″. This raised concerns for his draft projections. However, the good news is you don’t need to be the biggest man on the field to become the baddest man, according to the Super Bowl champ.

On February 7, Super Bowl champion and arguably the best safety of his time, Tyrann Mathieu, hopped onto the “In the Bayou” podcast and talked about being the enforcer on every team he played on, despite being only 5’9″.

“I say that to say, like, I didn’t get a lot of grace, but I realized, like, every team I ever played on, every fan base I’ve ever been a part of, like, I had to be the Enforcer,” Super Bowl champ Tyrann Mathieu said. “And I’m saying, My God, like I am 5’9, 180 pounds. Why do I have to be the fucking big bad wolf, right? Yeah. I’m the smallest m***********, and I gotta be just everything.”

Even though Mathieu is just 5’9″ and 190 pounds, he spent his entire 12-year career playing like he was the biggest guy on the grass. Since he was the smallest person out there, he had to work twice as hard and be twice as ‘bad’ just to make sure everyone respected his space. And it showed in his game; he had such an intuitive understanding of the game. It’s that underdog mentality that he has in him that turned the so-called ‘small safety’ into one of the most feared enforcers in NFL history in the last decade.

In hindsight, Mathieu’s career was all about the idea that size is merely a number if you’ve got the heart. Even before he officially retired last year, he had racked up 36 picks and 838 tackles. The man even made the all-decade team of the 2010s. He wasn’t afraid to get his nose dirty in the run game or jump a route against a 6’5″ receiver.

Truth be told, Diego Pavia has to walk a similar path to the honey badger. If you actually notice, both have uncanny resemblances. All the way from height, bad-guy personality, confidence to the point of arrogance, and the ability to back it up. Both are polarizing figures. Loved in one part of the season and hated in the second half of the season. But Pavia isn’t letting the ‘short’ comments get to him, though.

He’s been super vocal about his confidence, telling reporters that his brain is his ‘superpower’ and that NFL teams should care more about winners than height. Not only did he become the runner-up in New York, but Pavia has also done wonders for Vanderbilt. The former JUCO baller led Vandy to its first and historic 10-win season while throwing for 3,539 yards with 29 touchdowns. Being 5’9” and having stats like that should make it even more impressive, if anything.

Will Diego Pavia be the shortest QB to grace the NFL?

This measurement is actually a pretty big deal for his pro career because height is one of the first things, especially at the QB position, that NFL scouts look at. If Pavia gets drafted, he’d be one of the shortest quarterbacks to ever play in the league. He is even shorter than guys like Kyler Murray and Bryce Young, who are both just over 5’10”. But Pavia won’t be the shortest ever.

Standing at just 5-foot-7, Eddie LeBaron shares the record as the shortest quarterback to ever step onto an NFL field, tied with Davey O’Brien. LeBaron, though, had the much longer and more impressive career. He earned the nickname “The Little General” during his time with the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys from 1952 to 1963. He was so short that Redskins owner George Preston Marshall initially tried listing him at 5’9 because he thought 5’7 sounded ‘too small.’

LeBaron faced defenders who outweighed him by over 100 pounds and towered above him. But still, he managed to become a four-time Pro Bowler and won Rookie of the Year in 1952. He racked up over 13,000 passing yards. Mind you, this was in an era when the game was far more brutal. He’s proof that heart, smarts, and a quick release can beat out raw physical size any day. And that’s what Pavia has been telling the world.

Whether Diego Pavia goes in the late rounds of the draft or ends up as an undrafted free agent in May, he’s definitely going to be one of the most interesting players to watch this year.