Grammy-winning comedian Nate Bargatze has long worn his love for the Vanderbilt Commodores proudly. Among all the stars tied to the program, quarterback Diego Pavia has earned a particularly special place in his admiration. Despite Pavia’s polarizing reputation across the college football world and the debate that often surrounds his fiery style of play, Bargatze recently revealed a unique side of the quarterback.

During a podcast appearance with Katie Nolan, Bargatze opened up about lesser-known aspects of Pavia’s personality and character, suggesting that the public perception surrounding the Vanderbilt quarterback barely scratches the surface of who he truly is. A particular incident he chose to share happened behind the scenes in the locker room during their celebrations after beating Tennessee.

“Candace Lee, who’s our athletic director, has done a tremendous job at Vanderbilt… Like being back there and seeing it. So everybody gets done, and then at the end of it, he goes, “Whoa,” and he stops, and he says, and he gives it up to Candace Lee for what she has done for this program. There’s stuff that you do see where you’re like this guy does think not just about himself, but even like her,” Bargatze said.

“Everybody knows that she does great, but we were going to just walk out of the room, and then he made everybody stop and made everybody come back in, and then gave her a football and a game ball, and everybody cheered for her and all this. You could tell how much that meant to her, and so you see that stuff of it. I’ve seen the way he talks to you, you know, anybody older, and it’s “yes, sir,” and it’s “no, ma’am” or “yes, ma’am.”

Whereas critics view Diego Pavia’s aggressive behavior, trash-talking, and confidence as arrogant, people close to him describe a very different person. While his on-field persona may seem polarizing, they believe that beneath the passion he shows on the field, he is a very down-to-earth person. Even Katie had this doubt: Why doesn’t it ever come through in the other stuff he does?

“Well, it’s a mix of a show. With athletes, it’s like you can see where they’re this big thing. You go back to wrestling, you could see wrestling where it’s like this guy, and then you meet him, and you’re like, he’s nice. They almost have to play a character,” Bargatze said. “So it’s like you can do there’s a balance of this kind of show. I know he rubbed people the wrong way, but I mean, what he did, dude, I mean, he put everything out there, and to take that team to 10-3, and it’s insane.”

Bargatze never misses an opportunity to stand up for the ex-Vanderbilt QB, and along with that, he claims that Pavia is “The Best Person he has ever met.”

Nate Bargatze’s views on Diego Pavia

Nate Bargatze has met countless stars in arenas, on talk shows, and in backstage green rooms, but his praise for Diego Pavia felt far more personal. However, this did not happen at any public event or promotion; it happened in an actual conversation about family, pressures, and getting to know each other in a way that went far beyond football. This was why Bargatze’s Instagram post describing Pavia as “the best person I’ve ever met” did not look like a joke at all but rather a true declaration.

They were family, food, and weekend rituals in Nashville. But meeting former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia changed something deeper. Pavia wasn’t just a player on a screen; he was the kind of guy who remembers your name, listens as if it matters, and never plays the star. To Bargatze, that’s what made the line feel so real.

“Diego Pavia, I mean, you’ve got to remember these are still kids. He’s young. He’s like 23, 24. So, it’s, I mean, which is what people made it seem like he was like 27. Sure, and it’s like he’s 20, he was 22 or 23. So, I know he says a lot of crazy stuff, and it’s outlandish,” said Bargatze.

Nate Bargatze and Diego were responsible for convincing Jared Curtis to commit to Vanderbilt. During the visit by ESPN’s College Game Day show to Vanderbilt for their game against Missouri last year, Nate Bargatze was the guest picker and took advantage of the national exposure to publicly cheer for Vanderbilt’s future. Now, he’ll be leading the Commodores in life after Pavia.