Puka Nacuas rapid ascent an inspiration to |

WAILUKU, Hawaii — From the second the Rams landed in Maui, Puka Nacua embraced the highlight and offered sunshine vibes.

The star receiver, with a number of colourful leis draping his shoulders, turned heads upon arrival at a Monday evening luau.

The next morning, flag soccer gamers excitedly buzzed “It’s Puka!” as he entered War Memorial Stadium for a Rams exercise and clinic. That afternoon, autograph seekers lined up 100deep for an unique afternoon Pukacentric occasion at a workforce popup store.

On Wednesday, a number of hundreds of followers confirmed up to see the Rams’ public exercise, dozens of them carrying Nacua jerseys.

Nacua, who is of Hawaiian, Samoan and Portuguese descent, welcomed the eye with open arms.

“These are people who have similar backgrounds to me,” Nacua stated this week. “This is how I was raised — to call everybody Auntie and Uncle, and to be with them and give hugs and kisses, and to eat a lot of food with them.

“This feels like home.”

Nacua, 24, is clearly snug in his function.

He is the most recent Polynesian NFL star, becoming a member of gamers such as Detroit Lions offensive sort out Penei Sewell and Philadelphia Eagles sort out Jordan Mailata.

Nacua burst onto the NFL scene in 2023 with a recordsetting rookie season. His boundless enthusiasm, bodily type and daring athletic catches thrilled followers and confirmed Polynesian athletes that alternative and success at a socalled talent place was in their grasp.

Linebacker Junior Seau, security Troy Polamalu and heart Kevin Mawae are Polynesian gamers enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Nacua is respectful of the gamers who paved the best way for his alternative, citing Marcus Mariota, JuJu SmithSchuster and Polamalu as just a few of the various that led the best way.

He goals to show that alternative exists past “the trenches” for aspiring Polynesian athletes.

“It makes it super exciting,” he stated, “because the seliminate positions are coming.”

The affect of Polynesian professional gamers dates to the Nineteen Forties, when offensive lineman Al Lolotai performed for Washington. In the Nineteen Fifties, offensive lineman Charlie Ane twice made the Pro Bowl and received two NFL championships with the Detroit Lions.

Ane returned to Hawaii and tutored a younger offensive lineman named Norm Chow. Chow performed at Utah and coached as an assistant at Brigham Young, North Carolina State, USC, the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, UCLA and Utah before Hawaii in 2011 made him the first Asian American head coach at a main school program.

Watching Nacua’s ascent has been gratifying for the Hawaiianborn Chow.

“It’s a cool deal,” Chow stated. “He’s a tough guy.”

Rams broad receiver Puka Nacua, left, shares a giggle with linebacker Tony Fields II during organized workforce actions in Woodland Hills on June 3.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Toughness was a hallmark for Polynesian gamers such as Jesse Sapolu, an inside lineman on 4 San Francisco 49ers Super Bowltitle groups. Sapolu was twice voted to the Pro Bowl during a profession that spanned from 1983 to 1997.

In those days, Sapolu stated a dearth of Polynesian gamers in the NFL led him to examine the schedule each 12 months and establish the groups that included Polynesians.

“I’d look five weeks down the line at the roster,” Sapolu stated, “and put it in the back of my mind, ‘I can’t wait for that week so I can say hello to that person.’”

Sapolu is the cofounder and chairman of the Hawaiibased Polynesian Football Hall of Fame. He has identified Nacua since 2019, when Nacua performed in the group’s annual high college AllStar recreation. As an ambassador for the 49ers, Sapolu was on the sideline at Levi’s Stadium in 2023 when Nacua broke the NFL report for catches and receiving yards by a rookie.

“This generation is looking at this picture with a broader lens,” Sapolu stated. “We still have the top linemen … but now we’ve got the Puka Nacuas coming up that Polynesian kids can say ‘Hey, you know, not only can I be big and strong, I can also be skinny and fast and go out there and do things that Puka is doing.’”

Manti Te’o grew up in Hawaii. In 2009, he was one of essentially the most extremely recruited gamers in the U.S. before going on to star at linebacker for Notre Dame and enjoying eight NFL seasons.

Te’o, an NFL Network analyst, has a home in Utah. He recollects watching Nacua play at BYU, where he displayed tenacity, physicality and fearlessness that harked to SmithSchuster, the previous USC star who has performed eight NFL seasons. Nacua’s humility and the best way he represented his household and group also stood out, Te’o stated.

Carolina Panthers broad receiver Tetairoa McMillan participates in a rookie minicamp on April 25. The former Servite High School standout was chosen eighth general in the 2025 NFL draft.

(Chris Carlson / Associated Press)

Nacua’s success may need helped pave the best way for former Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan, chosen by the Carolina Panthers with the eighth choose in the 2025 draft.

“They’re starting to believe that they can be more than just the typical Olineman,” Te’o stated. “It’s nice to see that transition and progression.”

Mariota helped lay the groundwork. He grew up in Hawaii, starred at quarterback for Oregon, grew to become the first Polynesian participant to win the Heisman Trophy and was chosen by the Tennessee Titans with the second choose in the 2015 draft.

Mariota, who will start his second season with the Washington Commanders, pointed to Jack “The Throwin’ Samoan” Thompson, Jason Gesser, Timmy Chang and Darnell Arceneaux as Samoan and Hawaiianborn quarterbacks who paved the best way for him.

“I really value some of these guys that played before me, and what they were able to do, and what they went through to allow me to even have the chance to play quarterback,” Mariota stated.

Rams broad receiver Puka Nacua runs a passing route at organized workforce actions on June 3.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns rookie Dillon Gabriel adopted Mariota to play quarterback in school and the NFL.

Now, Nacua is exhibiting different Polynesian athletes that they don’t have to be “loopholed” to play as a lineman or linebacker, Mariota stated.

“Guys like Puka and guys across the league are really taking this Polynesian generation to the next level,” Mariota stated. “So, it’s cool to see him, and I’m excited to see what’s next because this is just the beginning.”

This fall, Jayden Maiava is anticipated to begin at quarterback for USC, Nico Iamaleava for UCLA.

Maiava stated Mariota and Tagovailoa “set the example and set the tone” for him as a quarterback.

Nacua’s instance as a Rams receiver also conjures up, he stated.

“Just to wake up and hit that standard he sets every single day,” Maiava stated. “It’s something to look up to and gives a young kid like me something to strive for, and one day hope we can get there.”

The Rams returned to Hawaii for the first time since 2019, when they performed a preseason recreation against the Dallas Cowboys on Oahu.

In Maui, they opened a popup for 5 days in Wailea that featured merchandise designed by Aaron Kai, an Hawaiian artist who lives in Los Angeles.

Sales had been brisk, but the principle occasion was Nacua’s look.

Joshua Cabjuan traveled from Oahu to Maui to have Rams broad receiver Puka Nacua signal a duplicate of Nacua’s high college jersey.

(Gary Klein / Los Angeles Times)

Joshua Cabjuan, 21, of Oahu bought caps, a hoodie and different objects. He stated he met Nacua at the Polynesian Bowl a few years in the past, so he introduced a duplicate of Nacua’s Orem (Utah) high college jersey to be signed.

“He was really excited, like, ‘Whoa, this is crazy — I haven’t seen this in so long,’” Cabjuan stated.

Kristin Domingo of Maui had all the time been a Lakers and Dodgers fan. Becoming a Rams and Nacua fan, she stated, naturally adopted.

“We support anyone who comes from the islands or is of Hawaiian descent,” she stated after Nacua signed a jersey.

And what does she like about Nacua?

“He’s an excellent wide receiver,” she stated. “He kicks ass on the field.”

Kiara Nishimura, left, and Peyton Koerte of Kauai maintain up jerseys autographed by Puka Nacua.

(Gary Klein / Los Angeles Times)

Peyton Koerte, 12, and Kiara Nishimura, 14, from Kauai each emerged with a signed Nacua jersey.

Why Nacua?

“We picked him for our draft in fantasy football,” Peyton stated.

For a long time the NFL’s Pro Bowl was performed in Hawaii.

Te’o remembers watching gamers such as Rams stars Kurt Warner and Isaac Bruce in individual.

“To see them play allowed me to dream big,” Te’o stated.

Nacua hopes the Rams’ go to to Maui has a comparable impact, and that it uplifts an island that was ravaged by the 2023 wildfire that destroyed a lot of Lahaina.

In remarks at the Rams welcome luau, Maui County Mayor Richard T. Bissen Jr. famous that the workforce donated more than $260,000 in initial aid and helped spur donations from different professional groups of $450,000 to the American Red Cross.

He also recalled attending a soccer camp in Maui overseen by former Rams quarterback Roman Gabriel in the Seventies.

“Thank you for what you’re going to do for our youth in the next couple of days, uplifting them and teaching them,” he stated, including that maybe the next Puka Nacua could be among the attendees.

Rams broad receiver Puka Nacua shakes palms with a youth flag soccer participant during a clinic drill at Rams minicamp on Tuesday.

(Gary Klein / Los Angeles Times)

Nacua was grateful to help play a function in therapeutic.

“To know the support that you want to give to those people who are going through that issue, and to see how it can change and bring the community closer together in that time, I think our team has felt that,” Nacua stated.

Nacua once seemed up to gamers such as Mariota and SmithSchuster. Now, younger gamers are wanting up to him.

“The discipline to have the consistency to go out there and perform very well, I feel like those are things that are staples in the Polynesian community,” he stated.

Rams broad receiver Puka Nacua runs a drill at the workforce’s minicamp in Maui on Tuesday.

(Bryce Todd / Los Angeles Rams)

Nacua will return to Los Angeles and start making ready for coaching camp and a season of high expectations. The Rams are regarded as potential Super Bowl contenders, with an offense that contains star quarterback Matthew Stafford and new star receiver Davante Adams.

But Nacua is not going to soon overlook his time in Maui.

And he could have loads of reminders.

“I’m sure I’m going to have 50 leis by the time I go home,” he stated.