"I cracked two helmets in the game": Nico Iamaleava recalls painful experience of playing Big Ten powerhouse last season

Nico Iamaleava has remained a talking point since his dramatic transfer from Tennessee to UCLA in April. In his debut season with the Bruins, he has taken the lead in challenging games, including a matchup with defending champions Ohio State on Nov. 15.

During the Big Ten media day on Thursday, Iamaleava spoke about the upcoming showdown with the Buckeyes:

"It'll be a big test for me. I know they want to beat me pretty bad again like they did the first time. I'm going to try to hold my own. I'm excited waboutthe guys I'm going to go to war with. We're building something special."

Iamaleava guided Tennessee to a 10-3 season in 2024 that ended in a 42-17 playoff loss to Ohio State on Dec. 21. He completed 14 of 31 passes for 104 yards.

The matchup also drew attention after Iamaleava suffered a cracked helmet during a hard collision with Ohio State linebacker Cody Simon. At Thursday’s conference, he shared details about the extreme weather conditions that day:

"They said it was like 11 degrees. It felt like 4. It was pretty cold. I didn't feel my hands in pthe regame wwarm-up Once I got the adrenaline flowing, I thought I did a good job at just getting acclimated wtothe game. I took some shots. I cracked two helmets in the game. Two of my Vices helmets and had to switch to my third one."

Nico Iamaleava opens up about his move from Tennessee to UCLA

Last season as Tennessee's starting quarterback, Nico Iamaleava completed 213 of 334 passes for 2,616 yards, throwing 19 touchdowns with just five interceptions.

Josh Heupel has remained composed following Iamaleava’s transfer to UCLA, but many Tennessee fans criticized the quarterback, especially amid reports that he left after seeking to raise his annual earnings from $2.4 million to $4 million for 2025.

At Big Ten media days, Iamaleava denied the claim, calling it a "false report":

"My driving factor to come back home was my family, and I hope every Tennessee fan understands that. It was just a lot of drama, but man, I'm excited to be at UCLA. Going back home was always at the back of my mind."

Nico Iamaleava and the UCLA Bruins will face Utah in their season opener on Aug. 30.

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash