According to Cam Newton, the blame for former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s failed NIL deal should fall on his father.
Cam Newton Calls Out Iamaleava’s Dad After Shannon Sharpe’s Similar Take
Cam Newton Calls Out Nico Iamaleava’s Family Amid NIL Fallout
Iamaleava’s entry into the transfer portal has been dominated by his failed attempt to get a bigger NIL deal from the University of Tennessee. He had reportedly sat out the first spring practice with the Volunteers in that attempt, which backfired. As he is slated to go to UCLA for reportedly less money than his previous $4 million NIL deal, former NFL quarterback Cam Newton blamed Iamaleava’s father for the situation during his 4&1 show.
“This is the word to the athlete, if you are getting advice from somebody who ain’t never been in your situation, bro, man, you gotta cite that,” the former Heisman Trophy winner said. “So you know, when you wrote the papers, the teachers always said you had to cite the sources. Wikipedia is not a reliable source.”
Newton added, “There is not a more influential person in my life than my father, but there are certain things that my father can and cannot advise me on…and I don’t want to disrespect him or the fathers out there. It’s just relatability. It’s tough, but it’s real.”
The former Auburn star encouraged Iamaleava to “stay the course” throughout and implored him to treat it as a learning experience. A lot of people may not be desperate. They’ve already filled up their rosters. The time to leave was right after the bowl game … Bro, that ain’t how you do it. Like you, Nico Iamaleava, like a dog, you are a potential Top 10 pick, bro, just, man, look, bro, just play your cards right, bro.”
KEEP READING: Shannon Sharpe Blames Nico Iamaleava’s NIL Fallout on Bad Advisors
His sentiments underscored the comments from Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe, who blamed Iamaleava’s predicament on the feet of those around him. “I sure hope he’s got a $4 million offer lined up,” Sharpe said during his Nightcap podcast. “Because whoever advised his dad, agent, his cousin, whatever- they did him a disservice.”
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