Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia & Eli Stowers' SEC Gamble

welcome to the Zen game where we go inside the minds of college quarterbacks I'm here with both Diego pavier and Eli Stowers from Vanderbilt recently both transferred from New Mexico State coming off a very successful season together and while one he playing quarterback and one is playing tight end now you both came in to college playing the quarterback position so both know it very well I'm excited to dive in and talk to you guys about the massive uh risk you're taking jumping up to Vanderbilt in the SEC yeah y appreciate you having us and I'll start with you El like you started your college Journey playing the quarterback position I got to watch the spring game from Texas A&M and my prep here where a lot of people thought even that first year as a true freshman you came into spring early and they thought hey you're going to possibly be the starting quarterback right out of the gates there which is pretty high expectations pretty decorated career in Texas where was it in your journey where you realized you were going to make the transition and use your physical gifts in a different way yeah I so the the story at A&M was you know I I came out of high school pretty highly rated quarterback and um that was a blessing just to be able to go through that experience but um you know I got to A&M started having some shoulder problems and I just couldn't I could never throw this the same as I could when I was a recruit I was having wear and tear in my shoulder and then so that spring was pretty rough the first spring at a& was pretty rough for me um so I actually decided to make the transition to kind of like do some slot hybrid receiver stuff that season uh my freshman season I still was kind of doing some quarterback stuff too during fall Camp I tore my labor in my throwing shoulder so I got surgery on it tried to go back to quarterback that missed that whole season medically pretty much medically wretched my second season and then um you know after those first two years it was rough like I was just like you know I need to try try and start somewhere else and um and so um I was blessed enough to my my dad played at New Mexico State played Safety there and so uh I had you know kind of had a connection there and that's how I got there and I was still playing quarterback there and you know it was towards like like fall Camp um when I you know I came to conclusion I was just like you know I think you know I think God showing me like I could just never get back to it and I think God showing me like youo you need to go another way so I went to coach Beck and and it was like right before the season started like hey I'm open to you know just help the team and and you can use me anywhere so that's how I started getting into that so and you're blessed with all those physical gifts where you had the ability to play another position not everyone Diego if quarterback stopped working out for you it'd be tough no no no the other day I was rounding up some of the guys though all right no I wasn't no no I really was I really would I swear you but yeah but yeah no probably you would it would be it mean maybe unless you kick or you punt I know I don't know how those tools are in the toolbx but thankfully thankfully quarterback has worked out thus far up to this point um just coming off being conference you say player of the year so offensive player of the year which is a heck of an accomplishment probably one you never thought that would happen on the opposite end you start your career as a walk-on at Community College yeah know we uh out of high school I had like division two offers un M never like really gave me a real shot um Mexico State they were terrible never gave me a shot and then so I was like you know I'm I'm going to go to Junior College um walked on no scholarship I remember my mom paid $427 exactly and I was like I was like all right this is the last time you're ever going to pay for me and so went out there true story I was playing tight end oh they're using like T me tight end quarterback running back receiver playing everything like under the sun and then um one day and I was better than these these other guys but they just had more hype to me and so they put me in at quarterback I'm doing good um they're like you know what you're it was going into the week starting week like you're third string I'm like how am I third string you know what I mean I was third string on this team and uh before that I earned a scholarship though but I was third string they were going to use me all over the place first string quarterbacks been messing up all week second Stringer goes in he messes up they put me in I go in and I ball uh first first game we go we go down we score we're up like 107 and then uh they come back back and me and this kid are switching off drives and they would never score with him and then I I finally just took over um second year we won The Natty coach kill I remember the phone call Coach kill called me he was like he has this weird voice he's like hey son give me a call back when you can and he left it on he left it on voicemail so I pulled over I knew I thought they were going to offer me right then and there um actually before the Natty game they offered the kid on the other team no way the other quarterback and so I was like damn damn like I can't catch a break you know anyway go up have like 194 passing like 50 rushing three touchdowns have a good day um our running back was really good so they had like USC offered him Nebraska offered him so everyone was watching that game had a good game end up getting a call two days later when I was back home working out call Coach kill back he's like hey hey son we're going to offer you full scholarship we see down here and it it was like late so like I had to get down there I think I had like a week to decide whether I was going to Jackson State or New Mexico State Jackson State at the time had Dion and shadur Sanders and and they were like you're not playing over my son you know so they I'm I'm going to New Mexico state in and out the starting lineup first year we're one of five we're down at halftime against UMass they putul me back in and ever since then like I just never look back start started one and five but still made a bow game yeah the hype train kind of started for you in that bowl game actually cuz that was kind of the first time that you were able to get National exposure because all eyes were on you that day yeah the Liberty game we were oh yeah like 20 what was it 28 point underdogs yeah like 28 29 Point underdogs we went in there and blew them out 49 to like seven yeah that I think that one's the one that probably put you on the M for real yeah cuz you had like what like six touchdowns or something like that yeah had three rushing three passing and yeah like 350 total kind of what was the mindset going in do you remember that day cuz they were they're a highly touted team yeah I remember that I remember after UMass I think we played maou or something like that we were catch trying to catch a flow didn't really have anything and then it was like like I was like sh I ain't got nothing to lose you know what I mean like I'm going just go out there do what I do and just play football high played when I was a little kid and like I would bust all the time I would forget motions I would forget the routes on the outside and then it just started all kind of clicking then I was able to play fast and uh coach Beck made it simple for me too that that day and he was just like run it deep if no one's open just take off and so that's what I did was it kind of being such a massive Underdog that kind of let everybody kind of let all of the structure go to a degree and just say hey like if we're going to win win this game you got to go do what you're going to go do best yeah no no one was no one was tense but they knew this was like if we wanted a bowl game it was a must-win you know what I mean so it was just we had to win that game mizou was mizou was tough um if we would have caught a few balls in the first quarter against missou but now Liberty we had them off the rip they were it was cooked and then they got us back twice though so shout out to them heck of a football team and last year also Eli were you in the quarterback room at that point when Diego had the breakout um oh no that was the year before I got there when they when they beat Liberty that was the year before I got there but I had heard about it known about so you were so you were watching because your father had the connection and there was always kind of New Mexico state was always something that was in the blood and you knew that if it hadn't been for having an opportunity to play at a place like Texas A&M you probably would have gone there right away uh I don't know if it I don't know if I would have gone there right out of right out of high school but like when when I got in the transfer PTO I knew I was going there you got the chance to probably fulfill a dream some degree where you kind of wake up in a household and you see jerseys and you see photos it had to be something really special the first time that you put that Jersey on yeah it was a cool opportunity for sure like um you know like cuz my dad is you know he's the one of the biggest role models in my life and so um and it kind of worked out in a way to where you know God he he he offered me that opportunity but it was also like the best kind of the the best place for me to be in regardless like you know cuz coach kill and Coach back like and I you know I'll stand by this like they're one of the some of the realest and like you know trustworthy coaches in the college football game you know like there there's a lot there's a lot of coaches out there you know they'll you'll hear stuff and they they don't mean it at all and from day one as soon as I got a call from coach kill he was you know he I you know I could tell he was about everything he was saying and you know I went in and I wasn't wasn't necessarily performing at quarterback like I you you know like I used to be able to and so but they still like you could tell that they they loved me as a as a kid and as a player and they were going to try to help me out and so that's what you know it it worked out in a way to where yes it was like I was fulfilling a legacy from my dad but also like you know the it was you know I got put in a situation where the coaches and in that whole situation the team the the family we had there was amazing so was your connection able to be built in the quarterback room that now is is so strong that you're now transferring together to Vanderbilt I you know I would say like cuz you know when we first got there like we were we were competing you know like I was going there like I'm I'm going to take his job and um you know I think in a way like that that kind of made us like you know form a bond a little bit and like and throughout the rest of the season like when I moved in moved to tight end and stuff and um I think it kind that that helped us with the connection you know cuz we're we're we're I was pretty much in the quarterback room the whole season I was playing different positions but they would still use me at quarterback sometimes and so I had to stay in that quarterback room and we would we me and D would be in the quarterback room with Coach Beck and we'd be talking about stuff and it kind of helped us with that connection so when we figured out how much of a freak Eli was it was like feed this kid the ball he had he started playing when when you started playing it like seventh game it was sixth game yeah when I first started playing yeah we we went through three games through the six or through those three games he had like we were like we called him incend Eli he had 100 yards every game nine it was like 9 12 S I wasn't going off like that but it was it was like it was it was good it was cool though like just being able to have that opportunity so and you talk about God putting you in that position once you got in and you started playing that well without tons of prep like to your exact point you were a quarterback starting the season so you weren't even going through the fall let alone the spring preparing to play at tight end MH was it obvious to you why you were put in that position once it happened because now you're positioned for really big things yeah I yeah you like I said like it's you know it's crazy how God God works in in people's lives and you know cuz I if you would have told me like cuz I I mean I played I've been playing football since first grade tackle football my dad was coaching me I've been playing quarterback since the first grade like that's all I knew was quarterback and if you would have told me like even a couple years ago that that I'd be playing like T in at a different SEC school right now I wouldn't have believed you I there's no shot I'm a quarterback through and through and um and but ultimately like when I finally got to the point where I humbled myself and I was like you know just listen to what gu's trying to show you like it you know I I can't you know I can't be more thankful and grateful for just the the situation I'm in so and Diego do you feel your game go to another level having a guy like Eli out there that you could throw to because that's just a mismatch when you get a player like that in your team against UT is when I really realized it was a crazy there was a difference between like in athleticism between Eli and all these other kids in com Tua um even now like he was at New Mexico State all our coaching staff comes I come uh blae comes we have like two running backs come and I'm like bro I picked up my phone I was like Eli bro you got to come bro you got to go and I in in the spring you know Vandy wasn't I like holy [ __ ] this is worse than my uh my Joo team and I was like I was like oh my God I I'm not going to get out of here Stranded by myself in in Nashville you know what I mean so I was like I was I was calling Eli nah he's gassing it wasn't that bad I that's pretty intensive that's a pretty intensive level of honesty to say that the team the team at point of arrival was worse than your Junior College roster it was at at at points there was all now I I don't mean take this from the way all white receivers on the field I'm thinking I'm looking left looking right they don't look too good then they're like all right Eli's coming on a visit I can I can I stop smiling at at top go no I was like oh my God this kid is coming so it was just like we got some we got some plays for for Eli to touch the ball so he he'll touch it a lot um I know what he can do with this so you know just I feel like even just having him for a spring at tight end is just so helpful because I learn what he what he really likes at tight end and then you know I could put the ball anywhere and he's going to go snag it I mean I put the ball I I I swear to goodness 13 feet in the air and he snagged it the other day and he was like oh my gosh like there's no incompletion with him so he's he's going to get fed for sure and the game translates well to the SEC obviously uh this is something your measurables are something that can carry over very easily and you're put in a position to be able to win one-on-one against anybody whether it's going to be a defensive back you're going to be much larger if it's a Lineback you're going to be much faster so even at this level that uh that translates is it a big jump that you're excited about playing tight end now you kind of get to come in com say get your feet wet but now you're being thrown right into the lions yeah I think I I'm excited for it you know cuz this is like you know for for a long time like I I just kind of was like just stuck like I you know I was trying to work my way back into court quarterback I couldn't get my shoulder right and it's like finally like I'm you know I've I have like a I had a season under my belt at tight end and then I had a spring at New Mexico state and then I'll have a summer and a fall here where I'm truly playing tight end and I'm like I'm working on my craft and doing that like you know running routes and blocking and catching the ball and stuff um so yeah I'm you know I'm I'm excited about you know what what the potential of this year could be you know you know God God can only tell what what's going to happen but I'm definitely excited about it so so asking two questions that are related um I'll start with the first what's the number one thing you feel like making being a quarterback first has helped you be a better tight end/ receiver I mean there's a few things but you know one of the biggest ones is like just being able to to read defenses cuz you you at quarterback that's all you that's all you do I mean you you have to be able to to to read a defense or you're not going to be successful and so um it kind of and and it helps like having chemistry with the quarterback being a former quarterback because we both kind of see the same thing so you know when I'm running the route like you know if I see something and there's a there's a hole I got to idle down in or if I recognize a coverage or something like that you know whether we have a option route or something it's it's easier for me to to see what's going on at tight end to where you know if I had been playing that position my whole life maybe I could have but you know when you're reading defense as a quarterback you see things you see things at a lot faster so when when you got on campus in New Mexico State you're competing with Diego things that maybe you looked at in the game you're like man how is he pulling this stuff off like how is he making these type of passes and then when you're actually on the field as a tight end it was able to help you understand like man if I just get open the ball's going to get chucked up and I'll probably be able to come down with it yeah yeah that's I mean that's one of the first things I realized when I got to New Mexico State like cuz keep in mind like I said like I was I was like I'm still I'm still quarterback through and through you know in my head I was I was kind of you know thinking like kind of nervous cuz I knew like my shoulder wasn't right but I was still thinking I was a quarterback and I got there and I meet him and like just this you know it's however tall you know Hispanic kid at Albuquerque New Mexico I'm like I'm going to beat this kid out 100% and uh and so but then I start I meet him and it's like bro this I mean this kid is like he's wired a little differently you know I've you know I haven't been around many kids to where it's like I mean like just little thing I don't even know if you did this on purpose but just little things like when we would break we would we would uh warm up and then be bringing the whole team up we' break and you'd have to run to your first whatever you were doing I would be I'd be running out of pace trying to be the first one there i' be I'd be in the front all of a sudden I see Diego full sprinting to beat me there just to beat me to the freaking drill I'm like all right bro like you know and and it got to the point where I was like yeah this you know this is going to be tough for me to do it and um but yeah like you said like I started seeing him like you know make plays and truly like it's just what he that's just what he is he's a playmaker you know like he he finds a way to to to get positive yards and make make you know positive plays out are bad ones and people mess up and so um like you said like I just realized like I just got to do do my job and you know he'll find a way to get it there but most of the stuff that you do I feel like can't be that scripted I mean yeah you watch the tape and you're like I mean you draw the plays up to the best of your ability but you just have fun out there it looks like yeah it's it's uh I I like to think I I think a little bit different you know what I mean um when I was really really young I used to play running back and like I was taught like by my brother you know like these guys in front the dline now but he was like these guys are too slow to catch you the guys on the second are too slow to catch you and when I was playing when I was really little I I popped a hernia and so like that slowed me down and I swear if I wasn't if I never popped a her I'd be I'd be I'd be faster than you I swear I swear bro I swear I was so I was so fast that bro and um but like yeah that happen so like if a d linan ever ever sexs me it's my fault no matter what and so that's how I look at it and then just ESC escaping the pocket I feel like that's when I'm that's when I'm best when you played Missouri because that's kind of like your first taste of SEC football I have to imagine what did that preview kind of let you know as you're now prepping to play in the SEC for a full schedule well when we first played actually Wisconsin they beat the dog piss out of us bad and it was like oh my gosh like this is just different but keep in mind our team was like terrible we were one in like four and they just beat us out and then we go to missou and we start marching the ball and it's like okay this is this is you know this is different we get two first downs back to back get a third first down we're on like the 50 yard line uh I remember this true freshman Jonathan Brady he at C now thre him a slant drops it he would have took it to the crib he would have split the safety they get so fast he would split the SA took it to the crib go on fourth down we go for it our running back drops the ball out of the back field and then they just kind of took over but they ran uh really it was more they were bigger uh longer and then they had they had more like a little bit more speed than than our first year in New Mexico state but it was it's nothing different you either I mean all coverages are the same um you either get to cover two you you get to cover four you either run man um but they they did some they had some good players they had that corner that was really good I think he went off to league though but they got um Brady cook and Luther Burton so we'll be ready for game four kind of going back to the transfer portal uh Journey you had a heck of a season both you guys did and you had a lot of success how was the was the news with Coach kill a major part of that when he kind of decided at the end of the year that he was going to step aside and call it a day yeah when he did when he did that that day I entered the portal um just because I knew the type of guy coach kill was I knew um coach Beck was out everyone was out there was every coach leaving so um everyone hitting the transfer portal as well so I thought it was best interest for me to leave and when I left Nevada I I Comm it to Nevada out of the transfer portal um and I was with them I coach Cho is a really good guy like he reminds me of Coach kill reminds me of how he does business you know down to earth um really good dude and I really wanted to play for him and then while I was at my Nevada I was at Nevada on my visit my second day and I was going to stay there three days at Nevada coach kill calls me and I told I told I told Coach Beck cuz coach Beck is here at and he was they were still recruiting me but I had to graduate I had to go back to New Mexico state and graduate before I could go to Vandy because of the school here but um coach be is like I called him I'm like hey I'm I'm committing to Nevada like thank you for what you did for me like I'm committed to Nevada and he's like no no no like don't do it yet don't do it yet um I'mma have someone call you coach kill calls me later that night and uh if you ever hear coach kill what are you doing son and so uh he's like what is this about you committing to Nevada son and I was just like hey coach like I think it's the best thing for me um um like I'm I'm committed and he's like no I I already been telling all the coach is like you're going to to Vandy and he's like um I'm I'm I just I just signed today like I'm I'm going to be there as a basically the head coach of the offense like come on and I was like sh I looked at my brother I looked back and I was like all right I'm in so I I had to go back the next day tell because I already committed to Nevada I told Coach Joe like hey I'm committed so I had to go back the next day and be like look I I have to rethink my decision I'm going to go home and I'm going to think about it but I already knew where I was going you know and but it was really coach ke that that took the icing on the cake for me right how was that decision-making process to know man I'm I'm taking the biggest risk with the highest reward if I can pull it off but the biggest risk that you could possibly take I mean Vegas has got you guys at two and a half wins this year which I've never I've never mentioned Vegas odds in the show ever in my entire run doing podcasts about college sports but I just think it properly speaks to where they're handicapping you guys right now com into this year I'm a big uh highrisk guy that's that's that's the type of guy I am yeah at New Mexico State though but at New Mexico state in all honesty we were the worst team in the country like the worst team in the country and and we found a way to win I think it's just changing the mindset of the players that are here um and I think we've done a great job of that I think we're a really good team right now like we got a really solid defense Coach Lee runs a really good defense our offensive weapons are like through the roof I mean we got and our old line is Coach K Coach K is the truth our old line coach he is the truth like hands he he he was a uh he was with Colin Kaepernick at Nevada he was with Lamar Jackson at Louisville so just having him is just awesome like I mean he brings the fire um we're going to be really good and I like I like that they have us at at two and a half you know there's going to be a lot of people who who bet the over who make money that's uh that's that's it's going to be easy money in in your guys eyes uh and I'd hope so um if you didn't if you didn't think that two and a half wins was a bad line this would be a really disappointing interview to be to be sitting in uh without any doubt and how is the wide receiver room transformed you you came were you in the portal Eli right away when all the rest of the guys did or was it a harder decision for you because you have Family Ties there and this is a place where you get to fulfill a family dream I'm sure of getting to put that Jersey on and then you're just starting to take off yeah um yeah no I didn't I didn't leave in the winter I I stayed um through the winter through the spring and um you know I I really did have intentions on staying um you know I I had such a great time at you know the just like the the transition from A&M to New Mexico state was such night and day for me like like you know A&M I was in a really bad spot like I just you know I was some of the worst times of my life and then I get to New Mexico state and you know I you know we have a we have a bond there there's a team that loves each other you know we all play for each other it wasn't even really that we had a good season you know it's just that you know that I felt like you know I was part of a family also the the fact that my my dad played there you know that meant a lot to him which me means that means a lot to me too so um but ultimately like I went through that the winter and the spring and you know I just I I had some talks with my family and you know it was a lot of prayer and everything but you know it's just like I just felt like there was I need to be able to show that that I can do it at a at a higher level you know um you know in Conference USA is you know that you know don't get me wrong there's some ballers in that conference like you know there's some I think it's kind of looked down upon a little bit but there's some ballers in that conference but you know it's just the you know the the the hype around being power five nowadays is just you know it's a it's a bigger deal than than what most people think and so you know and I wasn't even really you know thinking like if I can the portal I'm going to you know just go wherever like I knew who I trusted and I knew I knew like if I was going to get in the portal like I was going to try to come over here to Vanderbilt with with Coach kill and Coach Beck and then when I finally got to be able to even talk to Coach Lee the head coach when I got in the portal um it just kind of made it even even more clear to me like you know that's where I need to be at so yeah you had a lot of familiarity uh for any New Mexico State fans that are watching this show if you could kind of give a glimpse to the future of what fans can be excited about in this next chapter because you were there during the Spring the New Mexico State team is going to it's going to look a lot different than than last year because there's there was so much turnover I mean like the the pretty much the whole defensive staff left um a lot of the the offensive coaches left too and um a lot of the players left but I was there in the spring and I saw I don't know the the players that they got after the spring but I was there in the spring and I saw what they got um in the spring and I think think they have they do have something that they should be able to look forward to this year and be excited about you know um you know it's going to be whether whether they can I mean last year was kind of a anomaly like you know that was kind of crazy what we did but um I think for sure that they have something that they can be excited about and and look forward to this season so it's good I'm sure it's good for them to hear that they're they're in good hands I don't think your decision anything to do with the quality team that was on the field there it was more just yeah like you said once you prayed on it you tuned into your yourself to get to finish the year at New Mexico state it was you have all these connections at Vanderbilt you got a chance to go to the SEC was it obvious in your mind the second that you entered the portal that Vanderbilt was going to be the destination yeah I think that's where I that's where I wanted to go you know and this just because of lessons that I learned since I've been coming out of high school and being in college like you got to be somewhere where you trust the people and you know like I said like coach coach kill and then Coach back and I only knew them at the time obviously I didn't know coach Lee our head coach but um coach Bill and Coach coach kill and Coach Beck I knew like for a fact like the I can trust these dudes they're the realest dudes realest coaches that that you know I've I've been around since I've been in college and uh like I said when I talked to Coach Lee I was like he's he's on the same boat you know I can tell that he's genuine he cares about the players like he he's going to he's going to he wants us to succeed like more than Dan or anybody in in you know in the world in the country whatever like he he he's going to do whatever it takes for us to be successful and um so yeah I mean it sold it to me right away so you come in after the spring give a major boost it sounds like Diego you were related that you're going to have that weapon back how'd the rest of the team come together on offense you mentioned when you got there it was this is looking rough around me but now it sounds like you're a little bit more excited than you were when you first showed up yeah no we got we got well obviously getting Eli was was a big help and then um just weapons on the outside you know we got lock Wy um these are just the guys who transferred in um you know Jamani at running back um you know and then just having uh a group of O lineman come in as well and then when you create competition it boosts everyone else so everyone else got even higher their game so now it's just like the ones twos and threes all look like the ones you know what I mean so now everyone's looking good and it that just you know brings competition to the highest and that's how you win and like at New Mexico state it was a same thing the ones twos threes all look on offense we were we look good you know what I mean and so like when that happens I mean everyone's game lifts up and then practice becomes you know practice is hard and then the games become easy and then that's how that's how we were winning football games in Mexico State and we look same thing in in here you know we're looking good so is there one person that you could pinpoint that when the competition came in all of a sudden by the time the spring was over this is looking like a completely different player than version showed up when you were arriving uh junior Charelle he he was in the spring it was kind of like L LAX of days of cool um you know he would he would drop ball now he's like Junior Charelle is that guy you know what I mean like crispy routes doesn't mess up oh one1 oh that's him you know what I mean and he's just like you can move him anywhere inside outside and like he's he's a one-on-one matchup you know that that you could go to and so it was really kind of more of maybe the reason the team looked so bad upon showing up was because everyone was kind of discouraged from the previous results but the guys who stayed you get a new offensive staff in place and all of the sudden the competition's able to help them realize hey I can flourish at a level maybe I'd forgotten that I was capable of right yeah no those those guys are talented like everyone's talented they all got their own own thing like like Q Skinner he's big strong receiver goes up and gets it but in in the spring it was just like everyone kind of confidence was down and once it's just a confidence boost that you know you have everyone out there you know you could do it and then once we bring all the all the tools together game one is going to be we're GNA have some fun guys are ready for VCH oh yeah for sure and I and I think that uh like it just a lot of it had to do with like the cuz vanderbild is the same way like they had a lot of turnover like they had a lot of guys leave uh new coaching staff coming in on the offense like obviously I wasn't here in the spring but I've watched film on it and I I did I did see the spring game when I took my visit here and um you know I think it was just it was something that like you're going to have some Growing Pains like when when you get a lot of new people in here um and you know it's a new offense like you got to build chemistry with everybody you got to you know feel each other out figure everything out you know and one now we're getting to the point where it's like everybody's a lot more comfortable with each other a lot more comfortable with the offense um and I'm just talking from an offensive standpoint even on the defense you know we got some new kids too so um yeah I you know I'm excited about this year like you know like like like I said you know only God can tell but you know I I think there's there's definitely a potential for this year to be something special so our our spring our the spring game was so bad they they were taking kids late to the spring game so they would have to watch it it actually look good the spring game though yeah the spring game was practice yeah it was that was crazy it was a tough some good recruiting though good recruiting it was was that one of the reasons the recruiting was good was because the practices were so bad that kids who were coming and taking visits on play yeah yeah yeah yeah it was like plug in Play Let's Get Busy you know so that's what a lot of guys have the mentality of right now too that like they're going to come in they're going to play so that's what we like it helps some people say wow comptition competition's wide open and one thing you get every week at Vanderbilt is you're going to go up against an SEC opponent in one-on-one matchups during the regular season so if it goes well for you NFL is going to come calling because these are all the most elite matchups that you can get in and that's the tape mean for your life for you that's going to be all year when you're going up against these linebackers defensive backs that's the best tape that you can possibly get in your hopes of going to the NFL you're going to have first second round picks every week on the other side of the defense where a person evaluator could say wow I really like what you did there and if you have a week in week three week four or maybe in the Conference USA you get that out of conference matchup and if you mess up in that one game that's something that can completely down your NFL prospects whereas in the SEC you maybe have a tough week four but by week seven you get to go into the tape you get to go look at with your position coach and say hey I could do this different I could do that different and by week seven eight nine you're doing it differently against top rated players then an NFL team can say oh I see that that wasn't working well early in the season but later the season that got figured out here here and here so I think that's probably what a lot that's probably what you look at to a degree although you already comfortable for a lot of the people coming in they're saying man I can play and if I play and I get this thing right by week 10 week 11 yeah teams are going to notice sk's limit yep yeah like I mean that that that's one of the the the coolest things like you know I think about our situation like just at at Vanderbilt like you know we talked about like the line being two and a half and stuff it's like I mean we got nothing to lose this year like I mean we we we got like a bunch of kids that are hungry that love the fact that we're competing against the best competition every week and you know that that putting that like that's that's how it was in New Mexico State I mean there there was a bunch of kids that were that had been on that losing side and had been called the one of the worst teams in college football all the time and we there was a lot of kids that they brought in that were hungry and just wanted to compete and now it's at even the highest level and you know there you know there's a lot of there's a lot of stakes on the line um every single week when you're playing against you know teams like that and um you know when you put all that together it can make for something special so you have the ingredients was there something in the Liberty game that you learned when you were favored to lose by 28 points you mentioned that now you can carry over into this opener against Virginia Tech at home where I doubt it's a 28 point spread but I think that it'll probably be a liberal spread in that opening game against they have it don't they it's like 15 or something like that yeah I haven't seen it yeah it's actually it was probably out I I looked at it yeah I haven't I haven't seen it yet but yeah I would even say like you know cuz I I wasn't on the team that year when they when they uh beat Liberty but like last year when we played Auburn it was the same way like you know we had we had had a pretty good head of steam going into that game um but they still were like is New Mexico State playing Auburn well the line was something crazy just like that right it was like 28 or something like that and uh and you know that's that's why I said like when you get a lot of kids that are hungry and and they they form a Brotherhood and a bond and you get and you get them in contact with coaches that are really good and care about the players like something special that can happen and and that's what happened last year when we played Auburn like we went in and they and you know I'm they kind of doubted us like they're you know this is a walk in the park game and then we ended up beating them by like three touchdowns and that you know that was like one of the coolest experiences that I've had and praise God that I was a part of that like it was you know and I I just go that to say like you know that that's that those ingredients is what made that happen last year and I see I see that with us this year so what was it like we uh well like like you said like it's it don't matter what team you are I mean I remember Western Illinois being in the game with us and New Mexico State last year for a little bit for for a little bit you know what I mean it's like oh sh you got to score like you got to score this drive and so it's it's anybody's giving Saturday and same thing on Sundays too anyone can be anyone it don't matter if you're the best team the worst team so I I don't even believe in in spreads I don't you know I don't I don't look at that stuff but um that Auburn game was I pulled my hamstring before at Western Kentucky uh first quarter of the game played through it next game I I'm not even you know they're like well coach kill so uh old school he's like you're playing regardless you know what I mean like he he don't care and so I'm the same way so you know they uh I just did my exercises you know practice like maybe Thursday did a walk through went over to over there and um you know we it was like no one believed in us but ourselves like our defense was was so good and and someone who installed in like instilled confidence in everyone was um you know Andre Seldon he was just s he was he was different um it was just he he brought the mindset he was from Michigan um and so he he brought the mindset of like he don't care who it is he's just going to ball and so like that's that's how I was too I was just like I I don't care you know who who we're playing I'm just I'm just going to play how I how I like to play and so we went out there we scored we scored first quarter first drive um scored first drive made a couple plays and then second drive we marched all the way down again and so uh I I actually I costed us on that one cuz I got a I got a what is it that penalty against that corner I I slammed the corner oh oh yeah was it was a popular video yeah yeah yeah so I got some like roughing stuff so um that happen push us back cool for the brand though tough the memes after that yeah yeah the the memes crazy um but yeah that happened and then we scored the third drive so it was just like well like this team Ain ain't nothing like uh you know like like we haven't seen before but um you know they they were a good team we were just we just better on that Saturday and it's just who's better on that Saturday that you play him so I'm a big believer in that um but I'm I'm ready for uh August 31st that Saturday and you get to play at home yeah against Virginia Tech and you get to show what all of the progress has amounted to I was going to ask do you think that the current Vanderbuilt team be playing yourself you think that the current Vanderbilt team beats the New Mexico State team from the end of last season right now the the the roster you have right now would beat New Mexico State end of season last year and we're and we're like duplicated on both you're duplicated yeah you're duplicated like you you get part of the thing is you're probably a better player than the old you at that point was but you're playing and uh you're playing all both you guys are on both both rosters or any the any of the Dual players are on both rosters that's hard for me to say because we we haven't we haven't played anybody yet like like if cuz I our team last year New Mexico State we you know we had some we kind of proved ourselves like we showed that we were good we had some freak we had some Ballers too but we have some Ballers here too like we got some freaks here too so it's like I don't but we just haven't played anybody yet so I don't really know how good we are yet we'll say we'll have to see but yeah I don't know that's tough we uh cuz there were also some games last year where we looked like one of the worst teams in the country too so I don't know that is true but then we had we had kids like Trent hunson who's at Mississippi State yeah he's a baller Jordan Parker at at where me West Michigan Western Michigan yeah if they use I I if Western new Michigan uses Jordan Parker right he'll win the uh blint cof I I'm not even kid this kid is De he he's like he was making our starters at corner look like look silly would he not oh I mean just think of his stat line last year he he was kind of it was some some weird stuff going I don't want to get into all that but he didn't he didn't play as much as he he probably should have and and his stat line he had like what eight catches six six catches for like 240 yards in what four five touchdowns four touchdowns four touchdowns he averaged like 47 yards a catch like it it was unbelievable the stuff he would do but he a almost a touchdown a catch too he's a baller so it's a bummer on your and you never really fully got to and all of us were like hey play him like play him please please and but like every time he got in touchdown yeah like if you played him manto man like that all right that's my man beater you know what I mean so and he he was just he would fly he would get zero to 100 so quick and it was just like all throw the ball I remember we were we were uh just like on a Saturday night put on the lights and he was like do a three step drop and I'm just take off running as fast as I can see if see if you could out beat me with the ball and I swear I threw this ball as far as I could this is my shoulder was hurting a little bit though the ball hard as I could he ran under and it was like behind him still like whoa you know this kid is fast and so ever since then it was like all right yeah that that kid's getting the ball no one no one got to fully see it it sounds like either it sounds like no one got The Full Experience because that's that's what was that's what was so crazy about our team last year was like R2 our twos were good like really good and could started a lot of play that's what I'm saying like you know every every and it's it's you know 100% I get it why you know SEC and Big 10 they're all they're all hyped up but you there are ballers at every at every level and you know it's just like like last year the fact that we got that team together in Lost cruus New Mexico like you've probably never been there and there probably a lot of people I've never been to New Mexico love to I'd love to make it out yeah but when you hear about like lost Cru is new is like how in the world did they put this team together here you know the facilities are like you know it's just like they're they're kind of ran down they don't have the money in at New Mexico state but yeah it's crazy coach kill is is is different yeah like I don't know how he assembled that team at New Mexico State I don't know how he did it but he assembled a good a a great football a legendary football team and that's that's what I'm saying this year like the potential I mean cuz we had we got guys like coach Hill and Coach Beck and Coach Lee that are leading us like that and it's like I mean I don't know like we when we put that stuff together last year it stuff stuff crazy happened and could it be that it definitely could be that this year it's just kind of on on us to to get it done but and you don't want to Pat yourself in the back before it happens either no no um because you have a month of work to do before you get to put that finish proct out there it's crazy talk about having this team in in New Mexico and in your case Diego you were right in the backyard right and you had you had both you had both of the main schools in New Mexico not even give you a look no I know um what's crazy about it being in my backyard it's like three hour it's like 3 hours and a half away from home like three hours and so my whole family will come down you hear all of them you hear my brother for sure in in the stands um but they they just like to they love football I remember the first game when we lost to UMass like it was like yo what are you doing you know what I mean cuz I I I blame the UMass game on me I I blame the um game on me but they were just like what are you doing bro and it was just like they were like disappointed in me and then ever since then it was like I I hate that feeling of losing and and being on a losing team it's it's just the worst that's that's the worst feeling like ever is just being on a losing team and I I don't I I I I won't go through that again that's got to help you though like haven't had that experience up until that Liberty game you talk about where you got to experience once I mean you come from Junior College to New Mexico State it's a big step up even winning a national championship is a big big step up I remember when I watched uh Jake roff's highlights to prepare for his interview like you could see like he stepped up from Joo to BYU and like he was cooking Jo and then he goes to BYU's first start this game is outrageously improved yet they lose you could just tell every's doing everything better but the the level of competition was just so much steeper so you make that big leap that's going to be a bigger leap than even New Mexico state to Vanderbilt will be it's just outrageously large and so you go there and you probably were overthinking it to a degree it was probably the first time you're probably trying to go execute in all these plays and you competed in practice against guys that your teammates were better than anyone on the opposing team probably all year so I have to imagine that this year you're going to do a little bit less of that when you get out there that first game spot Tech yeah yeah I mean I'm I'm a vet now it's like I like to think about it but those those games were just I I don't know why they were um maybe it's because they were weak zero games and it was first game on TV you know everyone's coming out to it um but like here I I feel comfortable coach I know what coach Beck's calling I know the players I have around me I know coach kill I know what they expect of me they know I'm going to I'm going to dance around the backfield they know I'm going to change the play sometimes you know they they know it all already so it's just like it's just going and playing like freedom and and just doing what I do they've got comfortability and you've got comfortability and and other guys are learning it that whatever the play call is it might not wind up that way yeah I mean that's how every every play in football is you know but he he'll he'll find a way to make it that play for sure every play Eli one time we were in the Huddle cuz he he was playing tight end and he comes in the Huddle and they give me you know they we do number signed so whatever it was let's just say it was like 140 on the rist card look at the play I'm like Dam that [ __ ] ain't going to work you know what I mean call another play Eli looks over he's like cuz he has a RIS Caro I'm still playing quarterback still playing quarterback like like he calls a play I'm like d That's not the play yeah he's that's not the play and I was like hey we break break the Huddle go run the play it works and we just go on the next play and coach coach back has gotten he's gotten to a level of comfortability there yeah well he he he'll come to he'll come to the sideline though and still be like hey don't let that play not work or he's getting chewed out yeah definitely don't work I'm kind of screwed but yeah they asked you to come here yeah yeah that that's that's the high wrist of that's the high rist of every everyone's doing it they know they know that's that's what it's going to take for Vanderbilt to win games in the SEC it's going to take someone like you who just doesn't overthink it because otherwise you'll get two CAU up in your head about all the reasons why you can't beat a team like Auburn which you did in New Mexico state right no it it's at the end of the day uh football is a simple game I mean just if there's too many in the Box you got to throw it if there's not enough in the Box you got to run it and that's how coach kill kind of simplified it for me my first year um and then I just started checking things that that um makes my mind you know like if that's supposed to be my read but I don't think I'm gonna okay take the o line there and and read this linebacker and then just doing simple things like that helps me uh be a better football player and then when things work it's like okay they trust me now you know what I mean like like the players trust me they're getting the ball um we had a lot of receivers and New Mexico State who touch the rock so I know they all they all enjoy that and then everyone deserves to see what you can do with the ball it's an amazing thing I'll kind of close the show one of the things that is going to be very crucial this year is belief and Faith right to be able to pull off what you guys want to pull off when you want to do something that nobody expects that you're capable of I'm sure you guys would love to see yourself in a bowl game and even greater results than that MH uh outside of your locker room there probably aren't a lot of people on Vanderbilt's campus yet yeah that even believe that that's possible I texted my buddy who uh is a Vanderbilt Alum about to do this interview and first thing said it's like ask Diego if he's got a life insurance policy this year um that was that was his that was his text to me he'll be he'll be he'll be grateful to know right right in the deadline I got that I got that in the interview here um but that's funny it it was pretty it was pretty it was pretty funny I left um and that's exactly why I that's why I'm excited to talk to you guys because I there's nothing I like more in college sports than a team That No One Believes can do anything that goes out there and shocks the world it's what makes Sports an incredible thing so I'll let you close it kind of on either and we can take it a few angles on just where has there been a moment in the past where you've gotten to experience that feeling of knowing that there's something greater than you that's working through you that's going to allow you to do something yeah uh I I for me personally I've you know I'm I'm I'm big in my faith um I'm a I'm a a strong Christian and I was raised that way but I've kind of you know figured out my own path with with Christian any too um and you know I think that's what kind of what kind of grounds me and like gets me to the point where I can have a faith and a belief in certain things that kind of seem impossible or kind of seem seem impossible you know like um cuz you know the the Bible says like that with all With God all things are possible and um you know like and when it's when it's when I'm going through things like you know you have to remember that you know the Bible says that it's not I that lives but Christ that lives within me and um and so that you know there's that's kind of the thing that allows me to like and and also another verse Romans 8:28 says that uh for all things work together for the good of those who love him who are called according to his purpose and so it's like it kind of It kind of keeps me to a point where I know that I don't have to like you know worry or or stress about things because I know that regardless of what happens this year I know that God is going to you know you know guide us in the way that it needs to be gu that we need to be guided and so um you know I think that's where that's where like the the foundation of all this faith and and the belief just for me personally you know you know I understand that everybody doesn't believe that but um you know just that that that's where that Foundation is to where I can know that like hey like anything is possible you know like I truly believe that and um especially with with the the things that God has blessed us with at this program right now you know the players the the camaraderie that we already have I mean I I just got here like two months ago and I'm I'm already close with a lot of the kids and that that was not that wasn't even the way in Mexico state it took me a while to get there um and so you know I I just think that you know anything is is possible this year for sure yeah me me too um I I believe you know I'm I'm Christian how Eli is too and um you know just having that that faith and I feel like at New Mexico state that's why we were uh a winning team as well it's just because everyone everyone was Christian um not everyone was Christian but everyone believed in God and so like it was like you don't have to worry like I'm I'm going to take care of it regardless of what happens and so that's why I feel like I could be so confident is because I got you know a backbone to me and so I feel like whatever whatever I want to do he he's going support me and then and then like it's just giving him all all the praise and just doing everything to to glorify him how Eli said and and so just when when that when that time comes you know giving him the praise and after um the season you know it just whatever he does whatever it's it's it's his will that will be done on us so yeah for sure just doing that I don't think that could have been said any better and just in our closing moments I know you guys had a uh close friend pass away recently and just want to give you guys space to say whatever you want to about that yeah um I want I just want to want to kind of just talk about Seldon a little bit and you know Diego will agree with everything I'm saying but we just talked about him today with Coach kill and when I tell you like you know one Seldon is he was another one of those kids in the same boat as Diego you know like you know he was he had a little more hype coming out of high school obviously he went to Michigan he's from Michigan but um he was one of those kids a lot of people doubted him because he wasn't you know he wasn't the the ideal prototype you know like he wasn't this you know these big Corners that they love nowadays there 61 6'2 or whatever um you know he was he was he was a shorter kid that that a lot of people kind of doubted and when I tell you that kid worked his absolute tail off like I'm telling you like I've never like there there I've been around a lot of people that love football and he is up there like with with the the best of them you know like and he he worked his tail off he studied film like no other like we just talked about earlier today like he was before the season last year before we had even got to Camp he had watched every single receiver he was about to go up against and and had studied that what they were going to do and and you know like he and he was a great kid a great leader he was a captain of the team like you know and you know it it it broke my heart you know to hear to hear that something like that happened and um you know but you know one thing that that I've been mentioning that's kind of helped me through it in a way is like um he's right before the the the end of the season last year he decided to give his life to Christ and got baptized and for me as a Christian that's one of the the greatest thing you know the the one of the coolest things that happened um in his life and and I'm so thankful that God allowed that to happen because you know now I'm I have faith that he's with that he's with Jesus now um and so it's just you know that broke my heart but like I just I just want people to understand like that he's he's leaving the leg people may not even know much about him but he's leaving a legacy that that that that should be should be known by people for sure yeah like Eli said I'm getting chills just just think of Andre selling you know just but that kid was he was different he was wir different yeah um they had a uh some of the corners they had a thing called Breakfast Club and I I I was someone who always was going to outwork everyone no matter who was there no matter could it be Kobe and I I would go outwork him you know what I mean so I would show up early and he was there no matter what every single day some people would take days off he was there every single day and it was just like that's why I formed a connection with with Mamba because he was just someone who would go to work no matter who was looking who was watching um he kind of when I when I went back home I lived three hours away from Los cruus I went back home he stayed in Las cruus coaches made me f feel bad because you know Seldon was there watching film no time like dang I got to catch up to him you know what I mean I like this kid this kid's different and then game time comes I'm playing bad and you know he's the first game I'm playing bad he's doing good you know he's he's just Lifting me up and it was just someone someone who I could lean on and just his character it was like he never had a bad day you know what I mean he was just always great great kid great you know great everything great great player and I I just can't say nothing like everyone just gravitated to him um just the player he was coach kill loved and I was like coach kill's son you know what I mean coach kill um is close with with Coach Harbaugh at Michigan but now with the Chargers and he was like like like take this kid um and he was me and him were on the same thing you know he was he was not under recruited but out of the portal he didn't have too much and so he came to New Mexico State he bet on himself and and you know he goes to Utah State with with Coach drying and you know that that tragic incident happens and you know Seldon was just he was different his legacy is GNA like Eli said his legacy's going to take uh you know just carry on um he's he's going to be with us I know he'll be watching over us and and God bless his soul yeah and we we know that Seldon would want all his boys to go on ball out for him you know we know that for a fact like I mean no matter whe whether he was hurt or whatever it was he wanted his boys to go ball out so um we just kind of got to keep that in mind so it's a way that you can allow his legacy to live on through what he offered you in your moments together when you're out on the field yeah for sure and it sounds like he had a massive impact both on and off for both you guys and I'm grateful to be a part of documenting yeah that so it's been been awesome having you on and I'm excited to see what you guys do this year appr appreciate you thank you for having us