Comments from Vols senior tell Tennessee fans all they need to know about Nico Iamaleava
Tennessee Vols redshirt senior tight end McCallan Castles won't be around to see it in person, but he knows UT quarterback Nico Iamaleava is going to have a special career on Rocky Top. Castles, a sixth-year senior who is out of eligibility after this season, was on the receiving end of Iamaleava's first career touchdown […]
Tennessee Vols redshirt senior tight end McCallan Castles won't be around to see it in person, but he knows UT quarterback Nico Iamaleava is going to have a special career on Rocky Top.
Castles, a sixth-year senior who is out of eligibility after this season, was on the receiving end of Iamaleava's first career touchdown pass in Tennessee's 59-3 blowout win against the UConn Huskies this past weekend.
The redshirt senior tight end told reporters on Monday that he kept his gloves from the game and had Iamaleava autograph them.
"For him to go out there and kill it the way he did was awesome to see," said Castles. "I practice and get most of my reps with him every day, so it kind of just felt second nature. He was spinning the ball out there. And for me to catch it was a big deal. I kept the gloves. I had him sign them today, so those will probably be hanging up in my house after his career here. Pretty cool."
After Nico's first touchdown pass, he was mobbed by his obviously excited teammates. Castles was asked on Monday why that was the case. And his answer revealed exactly how Tennessee's players feel about Nico.
"Just because you see all the work he puts in and he's never complained about not being able to get into games," said Castles. "When there was a couple of games where we should've taken care of business and he would've got drives in. He's never complained about that. He just shows up and does the work. And he's always super humble about it. So to see him have success, everybody understands the work he's put into it."
Nico arrived at Tennessee with a ton of hype (and, reportedly, a lucrative NIL deal). That kind of hype can often lead to bitterness in a locker room — even when the culture is strong. But Iamaleava has obviously won his teammates over. And he's done it by just being himself and working incredibly hard. The young quarterback clearly has naturally elite leadership skills. The excitement from Nico's teammates after his first career touchdown — an organic reaction that leaves no doubt how Iamaleava is viewed in the locker room — was a result of those elite leadership skills. That's not something that can be faked or learned. It's something a player either naturally has or doesn't. And Nico clearly has it.
The 2023 Vols are Joe Milton's team. That's been obvious since last spring. But with just three regular season games remaining, this chapter of Tennessee football will soon be closing. And when the new chapter begins next spring, it will be Nico's team. It has to be comforting for Vols fans to know that there won't be much of an adjustment for this team when it goes from Milton to Nico. This roster is ready to be led by Nico once Milton's time as "the guy" is over.
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