Puka Nacua
May 29, 2001
Makea "Puka" Nacua (/ˈpuːkə nəˈkuːə/; 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.
September 10, 2023
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. 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.
