Puka Nacua had one of, if not the most impressive, rookie campaigns for a wide receiver in NFL history. The Rams’ rookie broke multiple receiving records, including the most receptions and yards in league history, which filled an endless list of all-time greats.
Even crazier is that he did it as a fifth-round draft pick, the 20th overall receiver in the 2023 NFL Draft. To say that the Rams found a diamond in the rough would be an understatement. Whether it was making impossible catches or just being at the right place at the right time, Nacua proved to be an excellent complement to Cooper Kupp and a solid 1A/B option for Matthew Stafford.
- In an interview with TMZ Sports, Nacua jokingly but also perhaps somewhat seriously said that if he ever needed to pay his bills aside from playing in the NFL, he could play basketball internationally. When asked if he could play in the U.S., he said, “Maybe in another country!”
Last month at the Celebrity All-Star Game, Nacua scored 16 points, including a few three-pointers and two very impressive dunks. Aside from Micah Parsons, who scored 37 points, Nacua had arguably the second-best game for his winning squad, going for 16 points, four rebounds, and four assists.
In high school, Nacua played point guard for Orem High School, totaling 961 points, 417 rebounds, 316 assists, and a very impressive 155 steals over his four-year career. He led his team to three state qualifying teams and a perfect 12-0 conference record his senior year.
Playing Multiple Sports is Rare in Today’s Age, But Not Impossible….
Before diving into this topic, let’s set the record straight: Puka Nacua won’t be playing basketball internationally, barring something drastic. The only possible exception would be if Nacua suffered a type of injury, such as too many concussions, that would force him to leave football and focus on a sport with much lower risk, such as basketball.
Again, that is very unlikely to happen, and hopefully, he won’t get to that point, but if it did, he wouldn’t be the first player to play multiple sports. In the past, athletes playing multiple sports was somewhat common. Even Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest player of all time for the NBA, played baseball for a few seasons during his dominant career on the hardwood.
- The most recent example of a football player playing another sport is DK Metcalf, who tried out track and field and did pretty well. The wide receiver held his own against some of the fastest Americans in the Golden Games in an attempt to qualify for the Olympics. He ran a respectable 10.36, finishing 15th overall….
