Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava signed autographs in print as a 16-year-old phenom because his cursive writing wasn’t ready for primetime.
He put on 25 pounds since enrolling at UT in 2023 by eating a lot of French toast and sausage.
And he’s won two national championships on the recently released EA Sports “College Football 25,” a video game which mispronounces his last name.
Those were just a few of the interesting tidbits that came from an ultra-relaxed Iamaleava during a 21-minute appearance at UT football media day on Tuesday.
“I’ve always been comfortable with the media,” Iamaleava, a former five-star recruit, said with a sly grin. “I’ve had a lot of home training with this media stuff.”
The redshirt freshman from Long Beach, California, displayed his chill vibe and quiet confidence as dozens of reporters peppered him with questions in an “ask me anything” style setup.
Iamaleava is 19 years old and has only one start as a college quarterback. But it’s evident that he’s prepared for this role as the Vols starting quarterback.
“Year Two is something I’ve envisioned since coming here,” Iamaleava said. “Year Two was going to be my year, go-time for me, and I’m ready.”
Iamaleava is now the face of the program as UT kicks off preseason practice Wednesday in anticipation of the 2024 season. Here are a few things he shared at media day.
‘I had to practice my signature’
Iamaleava idolized California quarterbacks Bryce Young, CJ Stroud and DJ Uiagalelei.
When he was in middle school, he got photos with them in some of the most memorable moments of his childhood.
But by age 16, Iamaleava, then a coveted recruit, was asked to pose for photos and sign his autograph for fans.
“I was like, ‘What? You want my autograph?’ ” Iamaleava recalled. “It was a bad autograph.”
He remembers signing in print – either “Nico” or “Nico IA” – because his cursive was underdeveloped.
“From there I had to practice my signature,” he said.
Broadcasters butcher his name, even on EA Sports game
Iamaleava said he’s won two national titles while playing the EA Sports “College Football 25.” He also noticed that the video game’s announcers struggle pronouncing his last name.
But he’s heard the same on TV broadcasts.
“Our announcers mess it up too,” Iamaleava said. “I can’t blame them. We’ll hopefully get it right after I play a couple of games this year.
“Everybody else gets their last name called. So I hope they can get my last name right at some point. But I’m cool with Nico.”
James Pearce trash talks, but Nico doesn’t reply
Teammates call out his name and playfully taunt Iamaleava at practice.
Defensive end James Pearce, a projected first-round NFL Draft pick, talks the most trash. But Iamaleava tries to tune it out because that’s the way he’s always played.
“When the other team starts talking smack, I get a little out of character (if I talk back),” Iamaleava said. “My parents taught me, ‘Don’t let the other guy get under your skin.’”
Iamaleava also said he’s grateful that mouthy Pearce is on his team so he doesn’t have to face him or hear him in games.
Nico added most important meal of the day
Iamaleava has noticeably developed his body since arriving at UT as a skinny freshman in December 2022.
He weighed 190 pounds when he enrolled. Now he weighs about 215, and he’s trying to gain another five pounds before the season starts on Aug. 31.
Iamaleava eats four meals per day. He previously skipped breakfast, but now UT loads him up on French toast, eggs and sausage every morning. He’s also added bulk in the weight room.
‘It was good for me to sit’
Iamaleava led off his media day appearance by acknowledging what he learned from former UT quarterbacks Hendon Hooker and Joe Milton.
He did the same at this event a year ago as Milton’s backup. Now as the starter, he’s still humble at heart and grateful for the lessons he learned from the sideline in 2023.
“I enjoyed learning from Joe in how to be a leader. It was good for me to sit,” Iamaleava said. “You soak up as much as you can, and I feel like I did that last year. From Joe and Hendon, I learned how to be a pro.”
Why Citrus Bowl MVP didn’t satisfy him
The last year has made quite a difference for Iamaleava.
At UT media day before the 2023 season, Iamaleava talked about the importance of serving as UT’s scout team quarterback in Orange Bowl practices after he signed with the Vols.
A year later, on Tuesday, he talked about his MVP performance in the Citrus Bowl in his debut as the starter.
But rather than dwell on his four touchdowns in that 35-0 win over Iowa, Iamaleava said the Citrus Bowl served as an offseason motivation because of all the plays he missed.
He watched the game film the day after the Citrus Bowl and came away unsatisfied.
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“My favorite thing was that for all the accolades he got after that game, the MVP and the touchdowns – he came out of it thinking that he left so much out on the field,,” offensive coordinator/quarterback coach Joey Halzle said.
“When you have a guy like that, he’s fun to coach because you don’t have to worry about keeping that guy humble. That’s who he is.”
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known…
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