Puka Nacua is only in his third season, yet he has already emerged as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. The fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft had a historic first season, breaking the NFL’s rookie record for receptions (105) and receiving yards (1,486).
In 16 games this past regular season, the Los Angeles Rams star recorded 129 receptions for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns on 166 targets. With Nacua becoming a star and emerging as a household name, there’s significantly more interest in his background. Let’s examine Nacua’s ethnicity and family.
Puka Nacua’s Family and Ethnicity
Nacua is of Samoan, Portuguese, and native Hawaiian descent. Nacua is proud of his Samoan background, which he often displays on his Instagram.
“Puka’s grandmother immigrated to the U.S. from West Samoa with her only daughter, Penina,” according to The Salt Lake Tribune.
Puka’s father, Lionel, passed away due to diabetes when he was just 10 years old, so his mother, Penina, was tasked with raising six children, five boys and one girl, as a single mother.
Nacua’s birth name is Makea, but his nickname “Puka” means fat and chubby in Samoan. You’d never know that from looking at his chiseled 6’2″, 212-pound frame these days.
While at Orem High, Nacua was named Utah’s “Mr. Football.” He also earned an invite to play in the Polynesian Bowl, which is played in Honolulu, Hawaii, and features many of the top-ranked high school seniors of Polynesian descent (and some prospects who aren’t of Polynesian ancestry).
During the 2019 Polynesian Bowl, Nacua caught six passes for 93 yards and a tip-toe 29-yard touchdown grab in the game for Team Makai.
Nacua was named Offensive MVP and Co-Player of the Year at the event, which also included Detroit Lions WR Jameson Williams, Indianapolis Colts EDGE Laiatu Latu, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Trey Palmer, among others.
Nacua played at Washington before transferring to BYU so he could be closer to his mother and grandmother, who were dealing with some health complications.
Nacua isn’t the only football player in his family, though. Puka’s brothers, Kai, Isaiah, and Samson, all played college football and then had stints in the NFL as well.
Los Angeles Rams’ Stats and Insights for Wild Card Round
Team: The Rams committed three turnovers in a loss to the Panthers, 31-28, in Week 13. Matthew Stafford committed all three with two interceptions and a fumble. The Rams had the ball inside the Panthers’ 25 on two of the turnovers.
Playoffs: The Rams are 3-4 away from home, including Super Bowl LIII, in the postseason under Sean McVay. They are 5-1 when playing at home, including Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium, under McVay.
QB: Matthew Stafford had his best postseason PFSN’s Quarterback Impact (QBi) score of 85.5 (B) in the 2021 Wild Card game against the Arizona Cardinals. He has had a C or better in every postseason game with the Rams.
OFF: Puka Nacua finished the regular season with the best PFSN’s Wide Receiver Impact (WRi) for the second straight season. It’s the third-best WRi season since 2019; his 2024 is the fourth-best WRi.
DEF: The Rams had the fifth-best DEFi this season, which is impressive considering the top three teams have had a top 20 DEFi score since 2000. The last three seasons, the Rams have finished 19th or worse in DEFi.