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- Where is Puka Nacua from?
- Where did Puka Nacua go to college?
- Puka Nacua college stats
- What nationality is Puka Nacua?
Puka Nacua's ascent to becoming one of the best wide receivers in the NFL began with his upbringing.
The Los Angeles Rams wide receiver is very proud of his family and heritage and wears his history proudly when he takes the field on Sundays. Nacua has familial connections with several states in the United States, but his family settled in one place when he was young.
As a result, Nacua has become a bit of a role model to kids of his heritage who want to play in the NFL. Here's a breakdown of Nacua's upbringing and his heritage.
MORE: The story behind Puka Nacua's name
Where is Puka Nacua from?
Puka Nacua was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, but he grew up in Provo, Utah and attended Orem High School. Nacua's dad died when he was young, so his mom raised him and his five siblings.
MORE: Meet Puka Nacua's family tree, from his football brothers to All-Pro cousin Penei Sewell
Where did Puka Nacua go to college?
Puka Nacua first attended Washington for two years in 2019 and 2020, but he had just 16 catches in 11 games for the Huskies. After the 2020 season, Nacua transferred to BYU, which was much closer to home and where he broke out as a wide receiver.
Nacua's decision to transfer, though, wasn't about football, as he wanted to be closer to home as his grandmother battled cancer. After his grandmother died, Nacua and his siblings wanted to make sure they were there for his mother.
"My dad passed when I was young, so I knew what it felt like to lose a parent," he said. "Knowing how that feels, I knew what my mom was going through, and me and my siblings all just rallied around her."
MORE: Why Puka Nacua fell to Rams in fifth round of 2023 NFL Draft
Puka Nacua college stats
Puka Nacua's best seasons in college came at BYU, when he produced 1,787 yards from scrimmage and 16 total touchdowns in 21 games. That helped him become a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft for the Rams.
| Year | Team | Games | Catches | Receiving yards | Receiving touchdowns | Rushing attempts | Rushing yards | Rushing touchdowns |
| 2019 | Washington | 8 | 7 | 168 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | Washington | 3 | 9 | 151 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | BYU | 12 | 43 | 805 | 6 | 14 | 148 | 0 |
| 2022 | BYU | 9 | 48 | 635 | 5 | 25 | 209 | 5 |
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What nationality is Puka Nacua?
Puka Nacua is of Hawaiian, Samoan and Portuguese descent, but he seems to be most proud of his Hawaiian descent.
"These are people who have similar backgrounds to me," Nacua said when the Rams practiced in Hawaii, via Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times. "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 explained that the name Puka is from a Samoan background, which is one of many areas of his life honor his heritage.