Forever In Our Heart: Rams WR gets emotional remembering tragic death.
For the Los Angeles Rams, Puka Nacua has distinguished himself as a member of a new generation of wide receivers. Matthew Stafford has been giving Nacua his fair share of receptions. With fifteen receptions in a game this season, he has now broken the record for the most by an NFL rookie wide receiver.
His father, Lionel Nacua, served as his inspiration to become a football player. The elder Nacua once made sure his kid spent time breaking down video rather than watching cartoons, according to Pro Football Network. From father to son, it was a passion that was transmitted.
But tragedy struck in 2012 when diabetic complications claimed Lionel’s life. He was only forty-five. He was never able to witness his son’s success in the NFL or college. His boys, however, all granted his ambition to play for the BYU Cougars, his favorite team.
In 2021, Samson Nacua, the older brother, went from Utah to the Cougars in the same year Puka Nacua did. Kai, the eldest brother, was a defensive back for the institution as well.