Nicholaus “Nico” Iamaleava joined the Tennessee Volunteers in 2o22 amid much fanfare. His high school performances, especially in his senior year at Warren had earned him the Polynesian Football Player of the Year award. Since his move to Vols, he has already impressed with his performance in the Citrus Bowl 2024 and is widely regarded as one of the most athletically gifted quarterbacks in this era.

Iamaleava comes from a family that is well-endowed in sports. His elder Matt, was one of the top high school volleyball players in the country at Long Beach State in 2021. His younger brother Madden is one of the top prep QBs, who committed to UCLA this year, while his sister Nicaylah, is playing volleyball at Cypress College. His parents Nicholaus Sr and Marleinna are his two support pillars as he looks to propel his career to new heights. Nico has been vocal about his mother’s role in his journey, let’s find out more about his parents.

Nico’s mother suffered from breast cancer

Though his family is heavily involved in sports, Nico’s mother, Marleinna Iamaleava has stayed away from the sports world.  But she is the nurturing and supportive figure in Nico’s life. In 2020, she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer and the Long Beach community rallied in the family’s support raising money for the treatment of the disease. Marleinna slowly recovered and in 2023 launched The Nico8 foundation with his son. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to the support of breast cancer research and awareness, special needs families, underserved youth and their communities as well as other charitable causes.

In April this year, Nico talked about the role of his mother in his success and how seeing her fight against breast cancer gave him in a new perspective. Talking to Vol Club Confidential he said, “(She means) everything. She made a lot of sacrifices for us to be here. I love my mom so much and I’m so glad she is still here with us. She had a hard fight with cancer so her being able to overcome that and be able to see me just her son play out his dreams.”

Nico also mentioned how she encouraged him and his father to carry on when they first received the news of her disease. “When she got it she told my dad and me to continue what we were doing and continue grinding,” Iamaleava said.

He added, “I was just glad she is still here with us today. I wouldn’t say it made me grow up fast but it made me realize life is short and you have to cherish your loved ones while they are still here and appreciate life for what it is.”

Marleinna missed his son’s first trip to Tennessee in November 2021 during a Vanderbilt game. But when she finally had the chance to visit for the next trip in March, seeing the welcome Nico received, she told him that this was the place for him. “My mom broke down coming up here in Tennessee. She broke down in the basketball stadium and it was a cool moment for me to see her like that. When she told me this was the spot I was sold on it and we made a great decision.” Meanwhile his father has also been instrumental in his success.

Nico grew up in a tough, no-nonsense household under his father’s guidance. Coming from a Samoan heritage, values of hard work and discipline were instilled in him from an early age. Nicholaus Sr., who serves as the assistant coach at Warren High School, said, “We’re warriors. That’s where [the toughness] is from. And it shows,” in 2021.

The Tennessee QB’s father, Nicholaus Sr., also has a well-known place in the vibrant volleyball community. This rich sports legacy has been continuing since Nicholaus Sr. followed in the footsteps of his father, who was a rugby player. Thus he has been a key influence in helping his son develop both on and off the field over the years. 

The transition of Nico from high school to Tennessee QB

The 6-feet 6 inches and 195 pounds is an appropriate match for a QB. That is why Nico embodies himself, especially physically and mentally to be the best quarterback. Starting from 2021, the quarterback giving excellent performances continuously. Notably, he achieved 33 touchdowns with 2,244 passing yards in that season. Without wasting any time, in December 2022, Nico enrolled his name at the University of Tennessee.

In his debut start with the team, he demonstrated his talent by completing 12 passes and a touchdown. Nico’s outstanding performance offered him the ‘Most Valuable Player’ title in the 2024 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. Additionally, he secured the Offensive MVP title at the Polynesian Bowl.

Hence, it clearly reflects that the transition of QB was not easy but Nico’s athleticism and versatility in sports make it more interesting. It can be expected that the Tennessee QB will go more and bring more achievements.