Behind the Facemask: JoJo Nicolas
August 9, 2011
CORAL GABLES, Fla.–They are stories of perseverance. Stories about growing up, becoming men and being a part of a family. One-by-one, we hear from them. These are the Miami Hurricanes…
JoJo Nicolas | Defensive Back | Senior | Homestead, Fla.
I’m a Hurricane because it gives me a heartfelt commitment to the game. I love the game and I love the tradition here. There’s nothing I love more than being a Hurricane.
At the U, I’ve learned so much from my coaches now, and my coaches in the past. I’ve learned a lot from the academic staff. Most of all I’ve learned from the players, because they’re the people I’m actually around the most. I’ve learned different things about them. They teach me a lot about their backgrounds, where they come from, and how they had it growing up.
When I played football as a kid, I pretended to be Charles Woodson. I loved the competition and speed he brought to the game, and the way he made plays. For him to still be in the NFL right now after 14 years or so is just amazing to me.
Competition is one thing I love. I grew up on competition. I have three older brothers, and being around all my cousins and nephews, all we ever did was compete. Everything we did, whether running down the street or racing, anything like that, football, basketball, baseball, we competed. Video games, whatever it was, it was all about competition.
When I think of legacy, I think of Sean Taylor. His legacy is left behind here, and even with the short time he spent in the NFL.
I knew I wanted to be a Hurricane my junior year of high school. I really didn’t think I would be recruited by UM. I wasn’t really on their radar until some of the coaches came to one of my games and let me know I had an offer. I was like, “Man, I’m going to UM!” A lot more schools started coming into the picture my senior year, but my heart was with the University of Miami the entire time.
Homestead is a small town. Everybody thinks about the Keys when you say Homestead, but it’s the town before the Keys. A lot of people who come to UM came from there. We’ve had guys from there in the NFL, guys like Antrel Rolle and Michael Barrow. It’s a place where we breed athletes, there’s definitely a talent pool down there.
My favorite ice cream flavor is praline.
Coach Golden is about intensity and about getting it done. Whether you’re with it or not, the only choice you have is to get it done. That’s the thing I like about him, he leaves no room for mistakes. When everything you do is watched and critiqued, it makes you want to go out and play your best. I feel like he’s going to bring the best out of guys, and that’s what I love.
Coach Williams is a cool guy. He’s laid back, but when he gets on you, he gets on you. He makes sure you’re doing what you’re supposed to do. He stays on us always, texting us, letting us know to do the right things. He’s a guy who’s going to do everything he can for you, and look out for you.
The most influential people in my life are my mother and my brother. My mother still to this day is influential. She’s over 50 years old and she’s still working two jobs with both of her knees messed up. It’s never been a point in my mind where I think about quitting, or that I think I can’t take it anymore. I have three older brothers; I’m the youngest of four. I look at her, and she’s struggling with two jobs and torn up knees, she can barely walk, but she still goes to work to try and make things happen. It doesn’t get more inspirational than that.
My oldest brother, Eliot, came back from college to come help my mother take care of me when I was born. He was in his sophomore year of school and my mother called him and told him he needed to help her take care of me. He came back without any hesitation. He’s been the guy in my life since day one. He was the first person to put me in a football helmet and put the football in my hand. The first year I quit, there’s no secret about that. But I came to try it again, and I can say that to this day, there’s never been another thought as far as quitting. He instilled so much in me as far as becoming a man, becoming a father. With everything I do, I want to be like him. The inspiration he’s given me is priceless compared to everything else, because when I need to talk to someone when I’m having problems, I go to him. If I have a problem and need to talk to anyone, I talk to him. Whether it’s about school, football or anything in life, he’s the one I go to. He’s been more than a brother. He’s been a best friend and a father figure.
Kenny Phillips was one player who I looked up to, and I still look up to even today. He’s a guy who took me in and showed me the ropes. He helped me out a lot. Guys like Sean Taylor with his mentality and physical ability, Ed Reed as a ballhawk on the field and a student of the game, Antrel Rolle coming from the same neighborhood as me; those are guys who inspire me.
Seeing NFL players come back, it doesn’t get any better as far as motivation goes. You see the work they put in to get where they are. There’s no slack. They don’t take time off. They put in the work constantly. I’ve seen Antrel Rolle almost every day of the summer, and he and I talk a lot. To see things like that, it’s just motivation. I know I can be in the same position, I just have to work and keep pushing.
Coach Swasey is the same guy I knew five years ago. He never changes. He’ll always give you the same intensity and same attitude. He wants nothing but the best from you and he wants the best for us. He treats us like we’re his own kids. He’s another person I can say is basically a father figure for me. That’s the first thing that comes to mind, that he’s more than just a strength and conditioning coach. He’s way more, he’s past that. He’s somebody you can go and talk to about anything. He’s someone you can say has been through it all. He’s been here the longest. It doesn’t get any better than having a coach like that.
My favorite song right now is “I’m On One” by DJ Khaled, Drake, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross.
I have no time to waste.
Running through the smoke is unexplainable. The feeling you get is just amazing. It’s something you can’t even talk about, because the feeling you get, the only reason you know it is because you’re running through it. You feel unstoppable. You feel that everything is going to be on point that day, when you come through that smoke. It’s just a feeling of power, of overwhelming pleasure, knowing that you’re about to go out there and dominate your opponent.
Jojo is short for Joseph. My older brother Eliot gave me that name. He said we couldn’t have people going around calling me Joseph, and he wanted people to call me Jojo. He helped take care of me, so my mother had no problem with it.
Make sure to check in for a new Behind the Facemask profile each and every day in preparation for the Hurricane football season opener. For a review of all past profiles, check out Behind the Facemask Central.
