Comment from Nico Iamaleava is exactly what Tennessee Vols fans want to hear
It's nearly impossible to not hear the hype surrounding Tennessee Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava this offseason. Iamaleava, despite having just one collegiate start under his belt, is receiving some Heisman hype ahead of his redshirt freshman season. That hype is due in part to Iamaleava's five-star recruiting rating. It's also in part because of his […]
It's nearly impossible to not hear the hype surrounding Tennessee Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava this offseason.
Iamaleava, despite having just one collegiate start under his belt, is receiving some Heisman hype ahead of his redshirt freshman season.
That hype is due in part to Iamaleava's five-star recruiting rating. It's also in part because of his lucrative NIL deal (which was the subject of an NCAA inquiry earlier this offseason).
None of that outside noise, however, is affecting how Iamaleava approaches each day. He knows the noise is out there, but he also knows that regardless of what's being said, he has a job to do at Tennessee.
On Monday, Iamaleava met with reporters for the first time this spring. And he was asked about his big performance against Iowa in the Citrus Bowl and the hype that's followed.
"I missed a couple shot plays out there that I could’ve seen better," said Iamaleava. "I really just evaluated myself. I think a lot of things I could’ve done better out there. And we probably could have scored a couple more points that I missed. But I’ve definitely taken that into this year and just the way I prepare and everything.”
"After the game I probably took a week off and then I was back to work," added Iamaleava. "I really try not to pay attention too much to stuff like that. I know what I came here to do and it’s my job to get that done.”
It probably goes without saying, but the "job" that Nico came to Tennessee to do is to bring a national championship back to Knoxville and to continue his development as an elite quarterback (which obviously goes hand in hand).
Nico clearly isn't letting hype or the high expectations impact the way he prepares and goes about his business each day. He's completely focused on the task at hand. And nothing is going to distract Nico from doing everything it takes to complete that task.
Tennessee HC Josh Heupel addresses the high expectations from the media for QB Nico Iamaleava
The outside noise is loud
