Adam Sparks, Knoxville News SentinelTue, November 25, 2025 at 12:21 PM UTC·5 min readTennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar and Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia will wage a must-watch battle in an in-state rivalry game on Nov. 29.
But rest assured, their mothers will share in the spotlight. The ESPN cameras that have featured them throughout the season will take care of that.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLydia Aguilar is Joey’s mom. She is an emergency room unit secretary from Antioch, California.
Antoinette Padilla is Pavia’s mom. She is a nurse from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Their sons are team leaders, record-breaking passers and overachievers who reached stardom against the odds after not receiving an FBS scholarship out of high school. They are also fellow plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit challenging the NCAA’s junior college rules involving Division I eligibility limits.
Meanwhile, the QB moms have become beloved fixtures in their respective fan bases.
No. 18 Tennessee (8-3, 4-3 SEC) plays No. 12 Commodores (9-2, 5-2) on Nov. 29 (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Neyland Stadium.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAhead of the quarterbacks’ showdown, get to know their biggest supporters.
Like mothers, like sons. Personalities are passed down.
Both quarterbacks share personality traits with their mom.
Lydia Aguilar is reserved. Her son is easygoing and quietly confident. Padilla is an extravert. Her son is brash and assertive.
Both approaches have been effective in leading their teams.
Lydia Aguilar regularly engages UT fans on social media. She asked them for tips about attending Vol Walk and shared news of her grandson’s birth on the day UT beat UAB.
“The reason why I'm watching from home,” Lydia Aguilar posted on X on Sept. 20, along with a photo of Leo in an orange and white striped onesie. “Tio Joeys #1 fan ~ my grandson ~ Leo”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPadilla turned heads when she wore a black T-shirt emblazoned with the words that Pavia said on live TV (and later apologized for): “Vandy we’re (expletive) turnt.”
“I think he was just being himself,” Padilla said. “I don't think he intentionally did it. It just came out.”
On Nov. 22, when Pavia passed for a school-record 484 yards in Vanderbilt’s 45-17 win over Kentucky, his mom wore a T-shirt that said: “Pavia for Heisman”
Joey Aguilar’s mom went viral with QB’s grandmother
Featuring parents of star players is nothing new for TV broadcasts, and these moms get their fair share of screen time. Video clips of them have also become popular on social media.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLydia Aguilar had a couple of viral moments.
When Joey Aguilar ran through the T at his first home game at Neyland Stadium, his mom cried. It took six years of college football at five different schools for him to get to the SEC.
Then Lydia Aguilar brought Joey’s 82-year-old grandmother across the country to a UT game. Afterward, she taught her to sing “Rocky Top” in an adorable video posted on Facebook.
There’s been plenty to celebrate during her son’s lone season at UT. Joey Aguilar leads the SEC with 3,145 yards passing. He’s only the fifth Vols quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards in a season, and he’s chasing Peyton Manning’s single-season UT passing record.
Diego Pavia’s mom went viral with Theo Von, Heisman pose
Padilla was a magnet for TV cameras. Then she drew the attention of a celebrity, comedian Theo Von.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPavia was doing an interview on Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson’s “Nightcap” podcast when a camera panned behind him, showing Von’s arm around Padilla.
Her son had a three-word response. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," Pavia said while laughing.
Von said Pavia had promised him a date with his mother if the Commodores defeated South Carolina earlier this season, which they did 31-7.
After the game, Von took to X to ask his followers, "where should i take her??" with a picture of Pavia's mom, circled in a red heart, below.
"What @TheoVon forgot is, I said it was a deal if and only if he told @tatemcrae to lemme take her on A1 date in Nashville" with a handshake emoji, followed by a plea: "Twitter make it happen" followed by an eyeballs emoji.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt turned into a playful social media conversation, which rekindled when Padilla and Von were together on the field at Pavia’s senior day.
During the Kentucky game, ESPN cameras found Padilla in the crowd. She put on a show, striking a Heisman pose.
Pavia is a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate who leads the SEC in total offense (325.9 ypg) and TD passes (26). And he ranks third nationally in passer rating behind two other Heisman candidates, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
VOLS, DIEGO PAVIA PLAY NICE: QB's spicy comments still on mind
Both QB moms champion their son’s perseverance
Pavia and Joey Aguilar overcame tremendous odds to get where they are, and that earned respect from their teammates.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTheir moms are their biggest champions.
Pavia had no FBS offers out of high school. He played two seasons at New Mexico Military Institute as a walk-on, two seasons at New Mexico State and the last two seasons at Vanderbilt.
"I always felt like Diego was going to make it," Padilla said. “He was always a warrior.”
Joey Aguilar also had no FBS offers out of high school. In 2019, he redshirted at City College of San Francisco and almost gave up on his college football dream. He even considered going to firefighter school. But his mom encouraged him to stick with football.
In 2020, the COVID pandemic canceled his junior college season. He played two seasons at Diablo Valley College and two seasons at Appalachian State.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAguilar transferred to UCLA for spring 2025, and then he transferred to Tennessee in an essential quarterback swap involving Nico Iamaleava. His mom kept pushing him along the way.
“We taught our kids to work hard,” Lydia Aguilar said. “Nothing is going to be given to you. You have to sacrifice to get where you want to be.”
Both quarterbacks exemplify that perseverance.
The Tennessean's Paul Skrbina contributed to this report. Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Joey Aguilar, Diego Pavia moms in spotlight at Vanderbilt vs Tennessee
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