Puka Nacua

No, no, no, no, definitely. I'm getting out of here before the game, too.

No, no.

It took us 20 years to learn that. A little bit. I try to take notes from these veteran guys and make sure I'm learning something for real. Are you having fun this week? Oh, it's been so fun.

It's been to be able to work with teams like Pepsi, Toyota, the brands that I've been able to be a part of, and how they have helped me in my career on the field and off the field, getting involved, like you said, in some of that media stuff. It's definitely a different world from what you're doing on the football field. There's no running routes.

Nobody's giving you an exact playbook of how it's supposed to go. Sure. It's a blessing to be a part of it. I'm excited to get my bowling event going on tomorrow. That's what I got going on with GoBowling.com and Pepsi. If you go to GoBowling.com, you get a free bowling game, a coupon for a free bowling game. Everybody definitely needs that and deserves that. Wait, how'd you get into bowling?

This is exciting here. My high school basketball coach taught the bowling class in high school. I was automatically enrolled into that class because he was our basketball coach. Hold on a second. There was a class, and it was bowling? Bowling class, yep. They would literally take a bus, and you'd go from the high school down to the Miracle Bowl, which was like a mile down the road.

And I would always bowl, so I got a bowling ball. I got a Los Angeles Rams bowling ball that I'm going to be bowling with tomorrow. Let's say I average about a 200 score. Average about a 200? My God.

I got a little curve action. I got a little hook in there. I'll make sure I spin it right. I mean, to get 200 is not as easy as it may sound.

It's nuts.

I'm glad you passed Bowling. Yeah, we got an NFL player. We got Kingsley Suomati, who's playing in the Super Bowl, went to Orem High. We played together. He's a former BYU Coug. So I think Orem High's doing pretty good.

Yeah, I think it was super exciting. I think it's a challenge to be as consistent as possible. I think from the people I've been able to watch and learn, you get to see, we're lucky enough to see Jamar Chase and Justin Jefferson. I'm watching Cooper Cup out of practice every day for the past two years, so seeing the best of the best move and play this position at a very high level.

It was exciting and it made it a fun challenge for me to be able to go out there and perform very well.

Yeah, I guess it's trying to realize that and process that, but also feel like, man, I'm taking the same mentality that I've had in these past two off-seasons. To be out there to all 17 games, I want to be out there and provide for my team as much as I can and as often as I can, so

It's super exciting to know that privilege is going to be mine to be able to take that challenge on and to overcome that challenge or to have fun while I'm doing it because I know it's something that I'm capable of doing and the people around me will help make sure I get it done.

Yeah, I think health is definitely a thing. And you had a chance regardless. Yeah, so even with some of the injuries and the challenge that we had to overcome, we were still right there and had an opportunity.

So it provides a sour taste in your mouth while you're watching some of these games, but it also lets you know that, man, it gives you an extra motivator in the offseason workouts to push just a little bit harder.

Yeah. I think, uh, that's kind of, yeah, growing, learning and being, uh, in the league a little bit longer. You see some of these things happen. And, uh, so it's just, uh, it is a part of the business, but I, I'm grateful for the opportunities and the experiences that I've had with Cooper cup. And, uh, if there's a way that he could stay with the Rams, that would be awesome.

But, uh, if he goes out there, I know a great team will get Cooper cup. And, uh, I'll be able to use the model that Cooper Cup laid in front of me to be able to have success in this organization and as a football player.

I should spam his phone, but I know he's not a new tech guy, so I know if I blow his phone up, he might not like that.

Exactly right.

Man, I don't know. I hope it's not me, man. I try to bring some new juice and a good energy into the room. Maybe it is you.

How could it possibly be me? Like, we're tired of this guy. He's too positive. He's too happy all the time.

He just likes talking about it? Yeah. He's an L.A. guy. He loves it. Coaches the best. Yeah, I don't think he wants to leave.

He's still got out there. He's got a good quick twitch zoom still. Is he a good bowler? I don't know about that. I think I would have him on that one. Do you have a personalized ball?

Yeah, my own bowling ball. I'm judging you right now. They got good pizza over there. I'm trying to bowl good. Do you go with, like, you have the shoes, too? I don't have my own shoes. Really?

I'm a size 14. If they would let me bowl in my Jordans, I mean, with the bowling alley that I go to back in Utah.

I go, honestly, every time I grab the bowl. Wow. Really?

No, no chalk. I like to get pedicures and manicures and make sure my hands are nice. You have great fingernails, man. Thank you. So, like, I get them done. It looks like you got hit with a bowling ball, to be honest with you. I think I got stepped on. Stepped on? Hold on a second. He plays football, though. You've been stepped on during games, you're saying? Yes. Oh, my gosh.

Yeah, I got stepped on by one of our linemen, like, right on my calf. I thought my whole muscle tore. I was like, yeah, it was 300-pound lineman falling backwards just right on my calf.

I had the first time to play against Jalen Ramsey this year when we played the Dolphins. He's pretty good. He is good. Man, I feel like they're – yeah. He definitely provided some challenges, but, man, I feel like there's some times I got him and I was just – there's never a perfect play out there. So you're like, yeah. It's an incomplete pass.

The DBCs that has a win, but I'm like, man, our one-on-one matchups were pretty close. Right. Are you a talker, Puka? I mean, I think you're secretly a talker. No, maybe a little bit. If we're close and you're talking to me, I'm not going to just stay on mute, but – I won't be the first one out there to say something.

I don't know.

I say something like, man, your breath stinks. I know you didn't brush your teeth this morning.

Exactly.

No, I guess I always envisioned myself having success and being able to have the people around me support me and have that pay off in a great way, and I feel like it really has. I feel like I come from a big family. I come from a football family.

Being able to be in the Rams organization with guys like Cooper, guys like Matthew, the other veterans on the team like Tyler Higbee, and just having a great support system, it's really helped me. It takes 11 on the football field, and it takes even more people to help have a great, successful life. And I've been blessed to have those people around me. A little tired of the Chiefs. Yeah. Yeah.

You are. Yeah.

Yes, I am tired of the Chiefs. They're annoying, right? The Eagles, I mean, it stinks to say. The Eagles too? You're tired of the Eagles? No, I think I'd rather see the Eagles win.

I just don't want to see the Chiefs.

Yeah.

Yeah, go bowling in Pepsi tomorrow. I'll be out there with some other NFL players, and we've got a bowling event going on. If you're out here in the New Orleans area, out here for the Super Bowl, come have a nice cold wild Pepsi cherry with me out there, and then we can see.

It's fantastic. Okay, I'm glad we're all on the same page on that.