Rams Rookie Puka Nacua Visits Local High School Football Team Whose Coach is Fighting Cancer.Photo:Courtesy LA Rams
Courtesy LA Rams
Puka Nacua is exceeding expectations on the NFL field in his first five weeks as a Los Angeles Ram, and the 22-year-old from Provo, Utah is already making a difference in the Los Angeles community too.
Last week, Nacua and Rams rookies Mike McAllister and Alex Ward visited Hollywood High School to surprise football coach Alastair Jones, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer and kidney failure in February but has continued to dedicate his time to his players. Since his diagnosis, Jones has found new meaning as a coach and draws strength from his players to fuel his fight against the disease.
Rams Rookie Puka Nacua Visits Local High School Football Team Whose Coach is Fighting Cancer.Courtesy LA Rams
Nacua says, “The energy that Coach Jones has is contagious, and I think that’s one thing, especially in cancer, that really helps everybody.”
“My grandma passed away from ovarian cancer. I just know that as much as he’s going through it, the people around him and his family, just the support system that he has, it takes a group of people to fight that as well. It’s a battle and it requires everybody and affects those people around you.”
The rookies spent the afternoon meeting players and taking photos with the team after Jones was presented with a personalized Rams jersey and tickets to an upcoming game at SoFi Stadium. Their meet-up with Jones is one of 12 with the team’s Crucial Catch Captain surprises for cancer fighters and survivors throughout the Southern California region.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Nacua says the experience was “full of incredible energy” and brought him back to his own high school football days. “This is the first time I’ve been back to a high school field in a long time, so it reminds me of my childhood coach, especially my high school coach. He coached me from seventh grade all the way to where I graduated high school.”
Nacua says being back on a high school football field was “surreal” for the NFL rookie. “I feel like I’m still a young kid that’s in high school,” says Nacua, who heard from several Hollywood High student-athletes that he’s on their NFL fantasy teams.
“To be here for the high school kids is cool because I know that if one of the guys in the NFL would’ve come to my high school, I would’ve been psyched. I would’ve been all over it, too. So it’s super cool to be in that moment for them.”
Nacua had his first experience of life on the other side of a fan encounter recently. “I had my first interaction just walking in the grocery store and someone’s like, ‘Hey, are you this guy?’ I was like, ‘Yes, I am that guy.’ I don’t know, I didn’t know what to say!”
On Sunday, Nacua and the Rams will host the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium.
source: people.com
