Despite UCLA Bruins starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava standing at 6’5”, the Long Beach native isn’t a bruiser. Iamaleava is listed at 215 lbs but that doesn’t mean that he will shy away from contact.
As we’ve seen through Iamaleava’s time with UCLA, he’s not afraid to challenge tacklers. That tenaciousness has led to some tremendous runs, highlighted in last year’s upset over Penn State, but it’s also led to Iamaleava missing snaps after getting cracked by opposing defenses.
That happened twice more in Week 3 against Purude, with second-stringer Madden Iamaleava getting some reps while his older brother was on the sideline recovering from another big hit.
UCLA head coach Bob Chesney isn’t all that opposed to Iamaleava’s aggressiveness on the
ground, but he did acknowledge the risk that comes along with it.
“His toughness certainly stands out in there. It’s not unnecessary hits but he takes a lot of them and he just keeps picking himself back up,” Chesney said. “When he runs, he’s not a guy that’s going to slide, or dive, or do those things. He puts his pads down and runs behind them and that’s kind of exciting.”
There’s no doubt that the way Iamaleava approaches running the ball is admirable, but is it smart for the Bruins to allow their star quarterback to Evel Knievel his body all season long.
“At moments, I’d like him to get out of bounds and maybe work on some of those other abilities to not get hit,” Chesney said of Iamaleava. “But at the same point, that’s the game he plays and that’s the toughness he plays with.”
The proof is in the pudding for the Bruins. UCLA is 3-0 and Iamaleava is coming off of his best game of the season against Purdue. After leading the team with 505 rushing yards last year, he’s up to 141 through three games this season.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: 'He’s not a guy that’s going to slide' Bob Chesney knows his QB1
