Maximizing his moment: Diego Pavia hoping to grow viral moments into big business

The battery on Adrian Tenorio’s phone is hanging on for dear life.

For some reason, a whole lot of people with Alabama area codes have been trying to get a hold of the 2022 Volcano Vista graduate since Monday afternoon — making it ring with calls or ding with text messages.

“Thousands, for sure,” Tenorio said on Thursday of just how many calls or texts he’s received.

Not that he minds, mind you.

After all, it’s not only his new friends in Alabama who have been reaching out.

On Monday afternoon, his Albuquerque South Valley childhood friend, Diego Pavia, posted on his X account “For NIL inquiries hit my agent” then listed Tenorio’s personal cell phone number.

Ever since Pavia quarterbacked perennial SEC doormat Vanderbilt to Saturday’s historic upset win over No. 1 Alabama and gave a now viral postgame interview on live television, one thing has been clear: Pavia is open for business.

While New Mexico knows his underdog story well, many across the country are just starting to see what Pavia can bring to the table, from his Johnny Manziel-like playmaking on the field to his Johnny Tapia-like unapologetic candor and confidence off it.

And he’s not forgetting his Albuquerque roots while trying to maximize his moment in the national sports spotlight.

Pavia, who said 70 family members attended Saturday’s game, is leaning on that family in what is a rare, nearly uncharted opportunity for any college athlete, but especially a South Valley kid who most of college football never expected to be in this position.

In steps Tenorio, a 20-year-old who considers himself pretty much one of the Pavia boys to help his friend in any way possible at a time that could present life-changing opportunities.

“I’m not really his agent (like the social media post said), but I’m doing whatever I can right now to help him,” said Tenorio, who quit his job as a program manager at Intel to move to Nashville and be with Pavia the rest of the season.

“Something like this doesn’t happen every day, or really ever for most people. So I’m here to make sure to help him with anything, from laundry to getting all these calls organized for him, whatever all this takes, we’re going to make sure it works because he deserves all of this.”

Pavia has a well-known advisor helping him navigate this lucrative NIL world, though Pavia prefers not to name the man.

Tenorio is there fulfilling the classic “other duties as assigned” job description and says the game plan is for Pavia to build his brand and let people see he is marketable, and more than the moment.

The goal isn’t to take any NIL deal that comes his way, but rather try to land one or two large NIL deals — the kinds that have long-standing impact and opportunity. And Pavia — who led New Mexico Military Institute to a junior college national title and New Mexico State to two bowl games before transferring to Vanderbilt — wants to work with New Mexico businesses if the opportunity makes sense.

How much opportunity is there in that Alabama win? Time will tell, but here’s what we know so far.

Vanderbilt brought in $216,059 in an online auction of 35 items from the game through LiveSourceApp.com. The proceeds go to Vanderbilt and will both pay the $100,000 fine levied by the SEC for fans rushing the field after the game and to replace the goal post those fans tore down and paraded around the streets of Nashville.

One item auctioned was a Pavia game-worn jersey, which had his signature and the message from his euphoric postgame interview: “Vandy we turnt” (sans curse word). It sold for $18,290.

Pavia’s done a dozen interviews this past week from Albuquerque and Nashville to national television and radio shows to podcasts. He even met, on one of those interviews, his hero Manziel.

And the calls are all still coming a mile a minute, just ask that possessed phone of Tenorio’s.

“It’s been insane, right?” Tenorio told the Journal. “... Some calls are from people you see on TV and you’ve been watching since we were kids, trying to get him on their show, or some just congratulating him and stuff like that to people wanting to see if there’s any interest in (NIL) deals.

“And then there’s a whole lot of calls coming from people with Alabama area codes, too. It’s wild. They say some crazy stuff, but Diego is different. Some guys don’t look at social media after a loss, but this dude goes on his phone to see who’s talking (expletive) about him. He wants to see it. He is fueled by the trash talk. But he like all the love he’s been getting, too.”

That’s Pavia.

Mole hills of disrespect have become mountains of motivation for the 5-foot-10 quarterback who doesn’t care what you think about him. He’s writing his story.

And he’s got the people around him to make sure nothing gets in his way.