Nico Iamaleava has become the talk of college football after he lost his spot at Tennessee following a demand for $2 million more on his NIL deal. Iamaleava’s controversial saga has led to an impending transfer to UCLA for reportedly less money than he was already earning with the Volunteers.
College football analysts like Paul Finebaum have warned teams about the baggage Iamaleava and his team seem to carry. Iamaleava’s younger brother Madden already made headlines back in December when he flipped from UCLA to Arkansas on national signing day.
In a recent episode of his ‘4th&1’ podcast, former NFL star Cam Newton gave Iamaleava and his team a harsh reality check.
“This is a story of good advice, bad advice. Whoever advised this kid to sit out and chase in hopes for more money is a fool,” Newton said. “Because the reality is this … is just to make your college experience. This is not forever money. You have to understand that even though you’re talking about millions and millions and millions of money, this ain’t it, bro. You at 19 years old, but that money ain’t gonna last past 24.”
Newton’s brutally honest insight into Iamaleava’s situation should serve as a lesson for aspiring college athletes: it’s not always about the money.
“This is not about money. Good advice will save your life, bad advice will kill you. Whoever gave him the advice to sit out killed that kid,” Newton said. “Regardless of how you bounce back from this, you will be the example. There are certain things in people’s careers where it just sticks … With Nico, he will have this as a stain on his career, and it’s sad. He is still a kid who is being guided by other people.”
With Iamaleava set to join the Bruins next season, fans will be keeping a close eye on the former Tennessee signal-caller’s development after the stir he has caused in the world of college football.