A Tennessee Pastor Was Rescued After Being Kidnapped and Held Hostage in South Africa But Was Immediately Upset To Learn What Happened With Nico Iamaleava

WVLT — Maryville pastor Josh Sullivan was rescued and reunited with his family late Tuesday night after being kidnapped at gunpoint and held for almost a week in South Africa. 

The rescue involved a shootout that killed three kidnappers, but left Sullivan unharmed. 

After being safely rescued, Sullivan was taken to see his family, and he then began touching base with some back in East Tennessee. 

At Fellowship Baptist Church, pastor Tom Hatley said one of the first things he heard from those in South Africa was, “He was upset over Nico”. 

Hatley said that people were asked to talk about more lighthearted things after Sullivan was returned to safety, so some in South Africa told the longtime Vol fan the news that Nico and Tennessee had parted ways. 

“And they said, well, you know, Nico left, didn’t you? And his wife told me last night that the biggest conversation they’ve had has been about Nico. Hey, the boy was raised in East Tennessee, what can I tell you?” said Hatley.

The term "Vol For Life" is used quite often around the University of Tennessee, but I've never heard of anyone granted with that moniker do something like be rescued from a shootout after being kidnapped and held hostage for a week and immediately turn their mind to UT's quarterback situation. Josh Sullivan deserves a distinction higher than VFL — maybe Vol For Eternal Life.

I can understand, though, finally being rescued after being kidnapped for a week, enduring a shootout and thinking you're in the clear only to find out about the bullshit Nico Iamaleava has been pulling for the last week. A man can only take so much.

I am thrilled Josh was returned home safely and I hope he now realizes, with some time to reflect, that Nico's departure was another blessing. This guy is risking his life to spread the Word of God throughout the world and his first thought after being rescued through a storm of gunfire was about the Vols. He deserves a quarterback that isn't a money-hungry mercenary — who isn't even very good, anyway — and that's what we're going to bring in.

Josh needs to be be arm-in-arm with our new quarterback this fall running through the T on September 6 against East Tennessee State. It Just Means More.