It always comes as a great surprise when, out of nowhere, a late round pick in the NFL draft breaks out and becomes a star. This season, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua has done just that. Although, with such an unlikley rise to fame, there are few aspects of Puka’s life that are common knowldge; that’s why we set out to give a detailed background of the LA Rams Rookie Wide Receiver.
Makea Nacua was born May 29, 2001 in Provo, Utah. Ironically, Makea was nicknamed Puka, which means chubby and fat in Samoan. Puka was surrounded by sports from a young age. His father, Lionel Nacua, showed Puka ESPN highlights daily, giving his son an athlete’s mentality from a young age. Due to being surrounded by sports at such a young age, Puka’s mother claimed that he was “different”. While other kids were sitting at home watching SpongeBob and other Disney shows, Puka was always watching football and basketball highlights. Sadly, Puka’s father passed away at age 45; however, Puka’s strong athletic motivations did not deteriorate. Puka Nacua was a star throughout high-school, putting up video-game like numbers in his senior year. Scoring twenty-six touchdowns in his final year of high-school, Puka won Gatorade Player of the Year and was recognized by the Polynesian People Hall of Fame.
For his first two years of college, Puka went to play football at Washington State. While at Washington, Puka had two very underwhelming and lackluster seasons compared to his highly-regarded senior year in highschool. Puka then transferred to BYU to play college football alongside his brother, Samson. This ended up being the correct move for Puka, as he started to play well once again. He caught 43 passes for 850 yards in twelve games along with 148 rushing yards. Puka followed his junior year with another solid year as a senior, thus completing his time in college. However, Puka’s draft stock in the NFL was low, as his college season’s were riddled with injuries.
Going into the 2023 NFL Draft, Puka Nucua was not on the top of anybody’s draft board. In fact, Puka was highly criticized by scouts and coaches, stating “Nacua is an athletic wideout lacking the twitch or speed to attack NFL man coverage at a successful rate. However, the ball skills and competitive nature he brings to the field give him a fighting chance to make a roster”(NFL.com.) However, with the 177th overall pick in the 5th round, the Rams took a chance on Nucua. With star wideout Cooper Kupp out, the Rams were looking for someone to fill his role. In one preseason game, Nucua secured three of five targets for 32 yards and a touchdown. Rams head coach was very high on Nucua, and it showed when he made the official 53-man roster. Nucua made his debut in week one against the Seahawks. Nucua caught 10 passes for 119 yards, putting himself on the map and planting the seeds for what would be a record start. The following week, Nacua hauled in 15 catches for 147 yards during the Rams’ 30-23 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2. That gave Nacua 25 catches in his first two games, breaking the record for most receptions by a rookie WR ever in their first two games. Nucua kept producing staggering numbers in weeks 3 and 4. Nucua caught his first touchdown of the season in their week 4 win against the Colts. Though, with Nucua’s All-Pro teammate Cooper Kupp was slated to come back in week 5, many people thought Puka Nucua’s production would go down…It did not. Even with Kupp’s return, Nucua caught another touchdown and played a vital role in the Rams offense. From his early years to his professional debut, Puka has worked his tail off and proved the doubters wrong. All in all, Puka Nucua is a star in the making and will be a dominant force in the NFL for years to come.
Additional Sources Used in Constructing this Article:
The WAR Room. “The Unlikely Rise of Puka Nacua….” YouTube, 5 October 2023, https://youtu.be/Q56UESzhNBk. Accessed 9 October 2023.
“Puka NACUA – Los Angeles Rams Wide Receiver.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/4426515/puka-nacua. Accessed 17 Oct. 2023.
Dana Craig • Sep 3, 2024 at 11:10 am
Puka did not attend Washington State, it was Washington.