Los Angeles Rams star wide receiver Puka Nacua had an almost-fairy-tale beginning to his NFL career. His electric performance last year — 105 catches for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns — has Rams fans salivating at the possibility of working again with quarterback Matthew Stafford.
The former BYU Cougars player comes from a family of football enthusiasts. Let’s take a look at the Nacua brothers in detail.
Who Is Kai Nacua?
Like his brother Puka, Kai Nacua is also a product of BYU and stayed there throughout his college career. He started in 24 out of 46 games and broke Derwin Gray’s record by notching 14 interceptions in the 2016 season.
Kai was later signed by the Cleveland Browns in 2017 as an undrafted free agent. After fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster, he made his regular-season debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers and ended the season with three total starts and 14 combined tackles.
After being waived by the Browns, Kai signed a deal with the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad but was let go again in October 2018. After that, he made several one-year pit stops with teams like the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, and others. Kai later signed with the Michigan Panthers of the UFL in 2023.
Who Is Isaiah Nacua?
Isaiah also followed his brother’s footsteps and went to BYU to play college basketball but failed to match their level of success. His commitment process was also quite different from that of his brothers as he was getting scholarship offers from Pac-12 programs like Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah.
Isaiah started questioning his decision to join the programs his brothers attended. However, coach Bronco Mendenhall’s withdrawal of his offer made Isaiah want to work for it again and continue his brothers’ legacy with the program.
In 2022, he declared for the NFL Draft and went undrafted. Isaiah later signed a deal with the Colts but was released without registering a snap.
Who Is Samson Nacua?
Samson Nacua took a different route from his three brothers. After playing with the Utah Utes for five years, he transferred to BYU and played with Puka during his final college season, appearing in 12 games.
After declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft, Samson signed a free agent deal with the Colts and played in the preseason matchups while scoring one touchdown and notching two receptions for 26 yards.
After his performance with the UFL’s Panthers, Samson has now signed a deal with the New Orleans Saints.