Puka Nacua

Makea "Puka" Nacua (/ˈpuːkə nəˈkuːə/;[1] born May 29, 2001) is an American football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Washington and BYU.

Puka Nacua
refer to caption
Nacua with the Los Angeles Rams in 2023
No. 17 – Los Angeles Rams
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (2001-05-29) May 29, 2001
Provo, Utah, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school:Orem (Orem, Utah)
College:Washington (2019–2020)
BYU (2021–2022)
NFL Draft:2023 / Round: 5 / Pick: 177
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
NFL record
  • Most receptions in a game by a rookie wide receiver: 15
Career NFL statistics as of Week 6, 2023
Receptions:50
Receiving yards:598
Receiving touchdowns:2
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Early life and high school

Nacua is of Samoan, Hawaiian, and Portuguese descent.[2] He acquired the nickname “Puka”, meaning fat and chubby in Samoan, due to his size as a baby.[3] He grew up in Provo, Utah and attended Orem High School in Orem, Utah.[4] Nacua finished his high school career with 260 catches, 5,226 receiving yards, and 58 receiving touchdowns, all of which are Utah state records.[5][6]

College career

Washington

Nacua began his college career at Washington. He played in the first eight games of his freshman season and caught seven passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns before suffering a broken foot.[7] Nacua had nine receptions for 151 yards and one touchdown in three games during the team's COVID-19-shortened 2020 season.[8] Following the end of the season, he entered the NCAA transfer portal.[9]

BYU

Nacua transferred to BYU for the 2021 season.[10] In his first season with the team, he caught 40 passes for 805 yards and six touchdowns.[11]

Professional career
Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard split20-yard shuttleThree-cone drillVertical jumpBroad jumpBench press
6 ft 1+5⁄8 in
(1.87 m)		 201 lb
(91 kg)		 31+1⁄2 in
(0.80 m)		 9+1⁄2 in
(0.24 m)		4.57 s1.62 s2.64 s4.36 s7.32 s33.0 in
(0.84 m)		10 ft 1 in
(3.07 m)		15 reps
Sources:[12][13]

Nacua was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the fifth round, 177th overall, of the 2023 NFL Draft.[14]

2023 season
See also: 2023 Los Angeles Rams season

Nacua made his rookie debut as a starter for the Rams on September 10, 2023, against the rival Seattle Seahawks in Seattle. The Seahawks were heavy favorites because the Rams were coming off of an injury riddled 2022 season and the team was without star receiver Cooper Kupp, who had been sidelined with a hamstring injury. Despite this, Nacua was a formidable piece of the team's offense, making 10 catches for 119 yards in his debut as the Rams beat the Seahawks 30–13.[15][16] Though he was first questionable with a rib injury, In his second game, Nacua broke the NFL single-game record for catches by a rookie as he caught 15 passes for 147 yards in a 30–23 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The 25 catches over his first two games was another rookie record, surpassing Earl Cooper's 43-year-old mark of 19, and he also became the first player to record more than 10 catches and more than 100 yards in each of his first two NFL games.[17]

In a Week 4 game against the Indianapolis Colts, Nacua had 9 receptions for 163 yards. Nacua got his first NFL touchdown in overtime on a 22-yard reception to beat the Colts 29-23.[18] During Week 7 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Nacua finished with 154 receiving yards on 8 receptions as the Rams lost 17–24.[19]

Personal life

Nacua's older brother, Samson, also plays wide receiver, and transferred from the University of Utah to BYU at the same time that Puka transferred from Washington. Samson went undrafted and had a stint with the Indianapolis Colts.[20] Another older brother, Kai Nacua, played defensive back at BYU and in the National Football League (NFL).[21]

Nacua played Pop Warner football with Dana White III, son of UFC CEO and President Dana White.[22] The White family and Nacua have shared a close relationship since, with White Jr. showing support to Nacua on social media.[23]

References
  1. MILE-WR Puka Nacua Interview. MILE-WR. 14 February 2018. Event occurs at 0:13. Retrieved 30 April 2023 – via YouTube.
  2. King, Peter (25 September 2023). "The Puka Story". NBC Sports. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  3. "Murphy, Bryan (September 25, 2023). "How to pronounce Puka Nacua: A guide to talking about Rams rookie and his real first name". The Sporting News. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  4. Jones, Tony (August 10, 2018). "Orem's Puka Nacua is the youngest of three standout football players ... and he may be the best of the three". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  5. Vorel, Mike (February 10, 2019). "The wait is over. Four-star wide receiver Puka Nacua breaks silence and commits to Washington". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  6. "BYU football: How Puka Nacua is polishing craft during the offseason". Deseret News. February 7, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  7. "UW freshman wide receiver Puka Nacua will miss 4-5 weeks with a broken foot". The Seattle Times. November 2, 2019. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  8. "BYU football: What will Puka Nacua and Samson Nacua bring to Cougars?". Deseret News. March 12, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  9. "'This is not how I wanted it to go': UW wide receiver Puka Nacua discusses decision to transfer to BYU". The Seattle Times. March 8, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  10. "Puka, Samson Nacua announce they're transferring to BYU". Deseret News. March 8, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  11. Thamel, Pete (September 9, 2022). "BYU receivers Puka Nacua, Gunner Romney to miss Saturday's game vs. Baylor due to injuries, sources say". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  12. "Puka Nacua Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  13. "2023 NFL Draft Scout Puka Nacua College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  14. "NFL draft: BYU's Freeland, Hall and Nacua are selected on third day, along with Utah's Phillips III and Daniels". The Salt Lake Tribune. April 29, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  15. "Former BYU star Puka Nacua makes history with 100-yard receiving day in his NFL debut".
  16. "All 10 Puka Nacua catches in rookie WR's 119-yard debut | Week 1".
  17. Barshop, Sarah. "Puka Nacua's 15-catch game for Rams breaks NFL rookie records". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  18. https://www.reuters.com/sports/nfl-roundup-puka-nacua-rams-outlast-colts-ot-2023-10-02/
  19. Edwards, Josh (2023-10-24). "NFL's top rookie performances of Week 7: Puka Nacua on historic pace, Devon Witherspoon in lockdown mode". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  20. "Why did Samson and Puka Nacua leave their respective P5 football programs to play for BYU? It was all about family". The Salt Lake Tribune. April 9, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  21. "Samson and Puka Nacua feeling at home with BYU football". Daily Herald. June 25, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  22. "How are Dana White and Puka Nacua connected?". Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  23. "Pretty cool to see UFC President Dana White showing love to #BYU's Puka Nacua". November 1, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.