Nico Iamaleava Praises Former Tennessee Football Quarterback Joe Milton in Recent Exclusive Interview

Joe Milton III may be known for his cannon of an arm, but his leadership can't go unnoticed.

Tennessee quarterbacks Joe Milton III (7) and Nico Iamaleava (12) share a laugh together during spring football practice on Monday, March 20, 2023. Kns Vols Football Practice Bp | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Nico Iamaleava is a former Tennessee football starting quarterback who started for one season before he announced his transfer to UCLA before the 2025 season. While he was at Tennessee, he was able to learn plenty of key things, including how to be a leader.

Iamaleava recently spoke to Yogi Roth about his leadership progression and how he was able to learn under former Tennessee Volunteers veteran starter Joe Milton III. Here is what he had to say.

Nico Iamaleava Praises His Former Vet Joe Milton III

Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III (7) smiles on the sidelines during the NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt on Saturday, November 25, 2023 in Knoxville, Tenn. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“As the leader of the team, you never want to let the guys see you down or in any type of a bad mood or blaming guys for the pick. I think it all comes with taking responsibility, and moving on, and having that next play mentality. I learned that really from, you know, my vet Joe Milton. When he was the starter at Tennessee and I was under him. You can say that there's pace, whether it was his fault or whether it was the lineman’s fault, I think just seeing Joe and how he always stayed positive, even though I would want to blow up for him, I’m like, ‘D***, how did he drop that? And then it turned into a pick.’ I think just watching him my whole first year and seeing how he led, I think that that played a huge role for me. So, whenever stuff doesn’t go my way, I really just try to stay positive, and that comes with a lot of self-talk. And you’ve really got to practice that self-talk, because the self-talk could be negative thoughts. It could be negative talking, and you don’t want that. You never want that negative talk in your system. So I think a lot of positive self-talk has helped me," Nico Iamaleava said when speaking to Yogi Roth in a recent exclusive interview.

Milton III was a full-year starter for the Vols until the bowl game against Iowa in his final season. Following this season, he would later find himself in a position to land with an NFL team, which was the exact case. His cannon of an arm was undeniable, as he would find a way to become a quality backup for the New England Patriots before later being traded to the Dallas Cowboys, where he serves as the priority backup for the franchise.

Milton III's leadership has been showcased even at the NFL level, and the fact that Iamaleava was willing to give him his flowers following what many would claim to be a fallout at the university says a lot about exactly who Milton III is.