For the UCLA Bruins to reach the heights that they’re capable of, they need a healthy Nico Iamaleava. Iamaleava has repeatedly put his body on the line for the Bruins but that might end up costing UCLA. UCLA head coach Bob Chesney is not too worrried though.
Iamaleava had to leave the Week 3 win over Purdue on two different occasions due to two different injuries. Iamaleava missed time in Week 1 against Cal with another injury. Backup quarterback (and little brother) Madden Iamaleava hasn’t had success in his brief opportunities and is an unproven commodity. For the Bruins to win big they need a healthy Nico Iamaleava.
That’s not to say that the Bruins shouldn’t take advantage of Nico’s legs, he just needs to be more cautious on the move to avoid
mammoth hits. Some of the big hits he’s taken have been on dropbacks too, where the redshirt junior may need to prioritize getting the ball out quicker to avoid big hits.
“What a warrior. Because he was pretty nicked up out there,” Chesney said of his quarterback. “He just wouldn’t come out of that game. He just wanted to keep fighting, keep playing and I’m sure he’s going to feel it a little bit tomorrow morning.”
Even with the close calls on Saturday, Chesney isn’t worried about the long-term viability of Iamaleava’s willingness to take on contact.
“He’ll be fine. That’s going to happen when you have quarterbacks who are willing to put their body on the line like that,” Chesney said. “You’re not going to wake up the next day feeling great, right? Which is just part of it but he’ll get through it and do what he needs to do.”
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Bob Chesney speaks on Nico Iamaleava's willingness to take hits
