Tennessee football QB Nico Iamaleava talks during fall camp ahead of the first game I Volunteers

Intro Nico Joey mentioned that right here uh coach Al mentioned that um you know Brew is acted as kind of a mentor for you and help you know grow you in the offense in the game and even off the field how has he kind of helped bring you along over the last year and a half um he's brought me a long a long way man um you know just learning from Brew how to carry yourself on and off the field feel like I've learned you know a great amount and uh yeah man me and brw have always had a tight relationship so I can't wait to go out there and you know play with him on the field Nico I remember when we did your commitment interview out in California at that point Brew hadn't announced he was coming but I told you he was more likely coming and your eyes kind of perked up because I mean you knew a lot about him I think you went and watched him in high school even a couple of games um what what did you know about Brew growing up and what did you think about him as as a younger kid looking up to an older guy yeah man when I was younger man I thought Brew was you know the greatest high school player of all time uh first guy I've ever ever seen play receiver and Dian at the same time so you know seeing him come off the edge and you know have five sacks and then go score three touchdowns right after was was crazy for me to watch and uh yeah man brw's always been a top player of M ni how do you how do you feel about Receivers your receiving core right now you feel like you have any number of guys that can go and make plays and and kind of what's your trust level and in in those guys yeah man I've been able to get reps with you know our whole receiver room I feel like that whole receiver room can go um got a lot of pieces that you know jail well and you know can't wait to to go out there and you know show you week one on what we've been working on Nico can you talk about your Offensive line Chemistry with that offensive line specifically with Cooper and you guys being on the same page with with calls and and adjustments and protections things like that yeah man me and C we talk every day man um you know I've gotten into a lot of protection stuff so you know sliding you know protections where I want to slide it and you know if CP doesn't like that certain slide then you know he'll let me know why and and you know we'll watch the film together it so I feel like me and CP have you know created a good relationship on on on that part yeah for sure all the line overall uh yeah man I got a great relationship with the whole line man I think we got you know one of the top o lines we're healthy so I feel like you know we're jailing well right Signing with Beats now you sign the the deal with with you know with Beats just kind of take us through that and what it was like to be able to get back to your teammates most de man I go to I go to work every day with these guys and you know I feel like you know just to give back to them guys and show you know my appreciation to them um and you know that's that's just one gift right there man you know we're working towards something totally bigger and uh yeah man it it felt good to get back Nico having a year in this system Adjusting to the tempo how have you prepared and adjusted to the tempo that coach Hosley and hypo want you to run say that one more time how have you adjusted to the tempo that coach Holley and hypo want you you to run yeah I feel like I've got a great grasp of it over the you know the fall and spring um sorry I thought that was on mic I I think I got a great grasp over it over the fall in Spring and uh yeah man I think the tempo part we use that as a weapon and you know every day we're working on pushing our Tempo so Nico are there people in your life like U or or you know coaches family you know guys who who have else who have played quarterback at places like this that you've been able to speak with about sort of everything that comes with being the quarterback at a place like this especially once the season starts really only Joe and henden man those are really the two guys I've pretty much talked to um going into college you know I talked to Bryce and CJ uh you know on what it takes to you know play at this level so really Joe Joe and henden as have recently have been been the two guys that have mentored me Nico we've asked the coach is about Helmet communication the inh helmet communication as the guy receiving that communication tell me about what that's like for you and the kind of things that they're reminding you of and talking to you about I think it's great man we got a you know mixture of you know my keys and the play Callum so think uh you know adding the mic and the helmet was was great for Bruce Arians connection us what's it been like developing that connection with brew and just watching each day him continuing to battle through that injury and recovery process and get to the point where he is today it's been great man brw is one of the hardest workers I know so I see him every day go out there and work and you know put his head down man um makes me want to go out there and work even harder so it's definitely exciting to see him get back into his own man I feel like you know that five five on him making him Mak him back to his high school day so you know hopefully uh you know we'll get to show you me and Bruce connection do you feel like it's a benefit that a lot of the pieces on that offensive line are veterans and have played a lot of football definitely man um you know we got a lot of young guys in the Old Line room but mixed with veterans and I think having them veterans in the room is going to you know not only help us now but even for the long future getting the the the younger guys you know up to speed with with the offense so it has been great think another receiver you guys Dante Williams have come back from injury is Dante he obviously played pretty well in the scrimmage last week what what what do you see from him what's different about him going into this season from from your Point compared to a year ago when he was still in his first season here yeah man I feel like he's he's more confident in in the offense um got him outside in the inside so I feel like he's just more comfortable being in the offense um getting that first year under his belt just like me getting that first year under my belt um you know it takes a some time to you know get this this offense really down so I feel like Dante's looked great in the fall in the spring he had a great fall camp and uh can't wait to watch him go out there and work Nico we talked to Jackson Moy Jackson Moye recently and he was talking about how you know both of you guys are Samoan and your Polynesian background and and really representing that how you you guys will say oo around like the complex things like that talk about Jackson coming on board and bonding with him and and just being able to represent with more of your Polynesian culture here at UT feels great man I think Jackson coming in with you know me and Keenan me and Keenan being the only you know Polynesians here so you know just adding another one there's three of us now so it feels great man um Jackson was a great piece to have for us uh feel like he JS well with everybody in the locker room and um yeah that's definitely my guy Nico you threw a couple of Tight Ends touchdowns last year both the tight ends what what do you like about this group of tight ends with those guys going yeah man we got we got a good good tight end room man that they all three of them can go so I'm excited man um you know they're big bodies big targets that I love throwing to especially down in the Red Zone um being able to use all three of them in in packages if we have to I feel like them being on the field resin will be big for us