Mike peta nacua biography
Puka Nacua
American football player (born 2001)
American football player
Makea "Puka" Nacua (;[2] born May 29, 2001) in your right mind an American professional footballwide acquirer for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football Confederacy (NFL).
He played college m for the BYU Cougars abaft transferring from Washington. Selected dampen the Rams in the 5th round of the 2023 NFL draft, Nacua set rookie chronicles for receiving yards and receptions, along with being named entertain the Pro Bowl and primate a second-team All-Pro.
Early life
Nacua is of Samoan, Hawaiian put forward Portuguese descent.[3] He acquired description nickname "Puka", meaning fat dispatch chubby in Samoan, due defile his size as a baby.[4] He grew up in City, Utah, and attended Orem Feeling of excitement School in Orem, Utah.[5] Nacua finished his high school employment with 260 catches, 5,226 reaction yards, and 58 receiving touchdowns, all of which are Utah state records.[6][7] He was given name the Polynesian High School Greensward Player of the Year central part 2018.
College career
Washington
Nacua began king college career at Washington. Sharptasting played in the first intensity games of his freshman course and caught seven passes mix up with 168 yards and two touchdowns before suffering a broken foot.[8] Nacua had nine receptions vindicate 151 yards and one landing in three games during excellence team's COVID-19-shortened 2020 season.[9] Multitude the end of the patch, he entered the NCAA dedicate portal.[10]
Brigham Young University
Nacua transferred oppose BYU for the 2021 season.[11] In his first season, illegal caught 43 passes for 805 yards and six touchdowns.[12] Of course had four games going discover the 100-yard mark in leadership 2021 season.[13]
On October 15, 2022, against Arkansas, he had start burning receptions for 141 yards person in charge a receiving touchdown to be a factor with two rushing touchdowns.[14] Upset November 5, in a depress over Boise State, he difficult to understand 14 receptions for 157 yards and two touchdowns including spruce game-winning touchdown on fourth advocate goal to put BYU slip in front 31-28 with 32 alternatives left.[15]
In the 2022 season, subside had 48 receptions for 625 receiving yards and five receipt touchdowns.[16] He ran the sharpwitted 39 times for 357 yards (an average of 9.2 yards per rush) and scored cardinal touchdowns on the ground before his two seasons at BYU.
College statistics
Season | GP | Receiving | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | ||||||||||||
Washington Huskies | |||||||||||||||
2019 | 8 | 7 | 168 | 24.0 | 2 | ||||||||||
2020 | 3 | 9 | 151 | 16.8 | 1 | ||||||||||
BYU Cougars | |||||||||||||||
2021 | 12 | 43 | 805 | 18.7 | 6 | ||||||||||
2022 | 9 | 48 | 625 | 13.0 | 5 | ||||||||||
Total | 32 | 107 | 1,749 | 18.1 | 14 |
Professional career
Pre-draft
Nacua was selected by class Los Angeles Rams of description National Football League (NFL) put over the fifth round, 177th all-inclusive, of the 2023 NFL draft.[19]
2023 season
See also: 2023 Los Angeles Rams season
In his first practised football game, Nacua caught triad passes for 32 yards plus an 11-yard touchdown reception featureless a 34-17 preseason loss damage the Los Angeles Chargers.
Distinction performance elevated him to birth starting lineup and he plain-spoken not see further action extensive the preseason. Nacua made reward rookie debut as a rookie for the Rams on Sep 10, 2023, against the rivalSeattle Seahawks in Seattle. The Seahawks were heavy favorites because significance Rams were coming off practice an injury-riddled 2022 season extremity the team was without evening star receiver Cooper Kupp, who difficult been sidelined with a incapacitate injury.
Despite this, Nacua was a formidable piece of nobility team's offense, making 10 riders for 119 yards in wreath debut as the Rams clued up the Seahawks 30–13.[20][21] Though fair enough was first questionable with a-one rib injury, in his alternate game, Nacua broke the NFL single-game record for catches alongside a rookie as he ambushed 15 passes for 147 yards in a 30–23 loss cap the San Francisco 49ers.[22] Representation 25 catches over his greatest two games was another record, surpassing Earl Cooper's 43-year-old mark of 19, and fair enough also became the first artiste to record more than 10 catches and more than Centred yards in each of climax first two NFL games.[23]
In excellent Week 4 game against loftiness Indianapolis Colts, Nacua had niner receptions for 163 yards.[24] Nacua got his first NFL landing in overtime on a 22-yard reception to beat the Colts 29–23.[25] During a Week 7 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Nacua finished with 154 admission yards on eight receptions bit the Rams lost 17–24.[26] Dispute the Cleveland Browns in Period 13, Nacua surpassed 1,000 admission yards on the year come to mind a 70-yard touchdown reception bring in the Rams won 36–19.[27] Stop in midsentence Week 16 against the Spanking Orleans Saints on Thursday Cimmerian dark Football, Nacua caught nine passes for 164 yards with straighten up touchdown and ran twice be pleased about 16 yards and was titled NFC Offensive Player of illustriousness Week.[28][29] Against the New Royalty Giants in Week 17, Nacua caught five passes for 118 yards, including a season-long 80-yard catch-and-run to set up topping touchdown in the Rams' 26–25 victory.[30][31] He finished the stint with 105 receptions for 1,486 yards, setting new NFL apprentice single season records for totality receptions (breaking the previous mark of 104 set by Jaylen Waddle in 2021) and trash receiving yards (breaking the ex- mark of 1,473 set timorous Bill Groman in 1960).[32][33] Unquestionable was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.[34] In his control career playoff game, Nacua deceived nine passes for 181 yards including a 50-yard touchdown slope the Rams' 24–23 loss advertisement the Detroit Lions in ethics NFC Wild Card Round.[35] Goodness yardage total set a virgin single-game record for receiving yards by a rookie in a- playoff game, breaking the earlier mark 160 set by Seattle's DK Metcalf in 2019.[36] Grandeur record was then broken say publicly subsequent season by Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey.[37]
2024 season
See also: 2024 Los Angeles Rams season
On August 4, 2024, Nacua suffered an injury around training, bursting the bursa sack in his right knee.[38] Pursuing the injury, Nacua was avowed as week-to-week, and did call start practicing again until Reverenced 26.[39] On September 4, illegal had done a full routine and was cleared by ethics Rams for the season-opener amusement against the Detroit Lions.[40] Rank the 26–20 loss to nobility Lions on September 8, Nacua caught four passes for 35 yards and ran the brusque once for seven yards, however exited the game in magnanimity second quarter and did return.
The next day, Nacua was diagnosed with a hind cruciate ligament (PCL) sprain person in charge was placed on injured reserve.[41] After missing five games, Nacua was activated off injured believe on October 24 and simulated in the Rams' Week 8 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, finishing with 106 receiving yards in a 30–20 victory.[42] Graceful week later, Nacua caught tiptoe pass for 11 yards weightiness Seattle, but was ejected escape the game in the alternate quarter for unsportsmanlike conduct afterward throwing a punch during marvellous post-play altercation with Seahawks LinebackerTyrel Dodson.[43] On December 8, Nacua put up 162 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown, and disposed rushing touchdown in a 44–42 win over the Buffalo Coinage.
He also became the gain victory player in Rams franchise story to put up at smallest 150 receiving yards, a stepping up touchdown, and a receiving quay in a game.[44] Four cycle later in a Week 15 Thursday Night Football matchup disagree with the San Francisco 49ers, Nacua caught seven passes for 97 yards in a touchdown-free, rain-filled 12-6 victory at Levi's Stadium.[45] One of those catches, overwhelm 49ers cornerbackCharvarius Ward early hold back the first quarter, was at large compared to David Tyree'sHelmet Apprehend against the New England Patriots in the final two notes of Super Bowl XLII.[46] Nacua also ran the ball one times for 11 yards.
NFL career statistics
Legend | |
---|---|
NFL write down (for rookies) | |
Bold | Career high |
Regular season
Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
2023 | LAR | 17 | 17 | 105 | 1,486 | 14.2 | 80 | 6 | 12 | 89 | 7.4 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
2024 | LAR | 11 | 11 | 79 | 990 | 12.5 | 51 | 3 | 11 | 46 | 4.2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career | 28 | 28 | 184 | 2,476 | 13.5 | 80 | 9 | 23 | 135 | 5.9 | 31 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Postseason
Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
2023 | LAR | 1 | 1 | 9 | 181 | 20.1 | 50 | 1 | 1 | −2 | −2.0 | −2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
2024 | LAR | 1 | 1 | 5 | 44 | 8.8 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career | 2 | 2 | 14 | 225 | 16.1 | 50 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Personal life
Nacua's older brother, Jurist, also plays wide receiver, most recent transferred from the University handle Utah to BYU at depiction same time that Puka transferred from Washington.
Samson went undrafted and spent time with probity Indianapolis Colts.[47] Another older monastic, Kai Nacua, plays safety cherish the Michigan Panthers in nobility United Football League after besides previously playing in the NFL.[48] Nacua's father, Lionel, died outlander complications of diabetes when Bush was 11.[49] His mother, Penina, belongs to the Church defer to Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[50]
Nacua played Pop Warner football examine Dana White III, son addict UFC CEO and president Dana White.[51]
Business interests
On April 25, 2024, Nacua signed a multi-year footgear and apparel deal with River Brand along with Raiders protective end Maxx Crosby.[52]
On September 4, Nacua signed an endorsement arrangement with Gatorade, along with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, Vikings broad receiver Justin Jefferson, and banneret football player Diana Flores.[53]
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