Tennessee Football: Joe Milton made some important comments about Nico Iamaleava
Tennessee Vols quarterback Joe Milton, UT's starter for their Orange Bowl matchup against Clemson next week, was asked on Wednesday about his relationship with Nico Iamaleava. Iamaleava, the five-star quarterback who signed with Tennessee this month, has been practicing with the Vols since arriving in Knoxville last week. And according to Milton, he's extremely eager […]
Tennessee Vols quarterback Joe Milton, UT's starter for their Orange Bowl matchup against Clemson next week, was asked on Wednesday about his relationship with Nico Iamaleava.
Iamaleava, the five-star quarterback who signed with Tennessee this month, has been practicing with the Vols since arriving in Knoxville last week.
And according to Milton, he's extremely eager to learn.
"Our relationship is just now growing," said Milton when asked about Nico on Wednesday. "At first he was a recruit, now he's a player here. He wants to learn. He wants to be better. He wants to know what I know — about the offense, about life."
"He's a great kid," added Milton. "He just wants to learn. He's willing to learn, willing to ask questions. Not scared to ask questions. I feel like our relationship is just now starting, but I also feel like I've known him for a while, too."
Milton, along with Hendon Hooker (who saw his Vols career end early because of a torn ACL suffered in the penultimate game of the regular season) is a big reason why Tennessee's culture has changed over the last two seasons. Milton and Hooker were directly competing with each other for the Vols' starting quarterback job, yet they were also best friends.
That close relationship between the two quarterbacks helped bring out the best in both of them.
Based on Milton's comments, that culture will be carrying over into next season in UT's quarterbacks room.
Nico hasn't been in Knoxville for long, but it certainly sounds like he's doing everything right so far. And it helps that he already has a great mentor in Joe Milton.
Featured image via Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
