Is Puka Nacua related to Dana White? Rams WR’s relationship with UFC CEO explored

No. Puka Nacua and Dana White are not related. Los Angeles Rams' breakout star Puka Nacua and UFC president Dana White seemingly share a close relationship. However, contrary to rumors, Nacua and White are unrelated.

NFL fans think that the two are related due to their close relationship. However, the pair go way back, as Puka and Dana White’s son, Dana White III, played Pop Warner football together. In fact, while Nacua was in the Pacific Northwest in Washington, the elder White would share words of support with Nacua on social media.

Hence, it's no surprise that the words of encouragement have kept flowing during Nacua's unexpected rise to prominence in his rookie NFL season.

Puka Nacua's Amateur Football Career

Puka Nacua grew up in Provo, Utah, and attended Orem High School in Orem, Utah. Nacua was a high school legend in Utah, ending his high school football career with 260 receptions, 5,226 receiving yards, and 58 receiving TDs. All of his above stats were Utah state records. Following his high school feats, Nacua was recruited by the University of Washington.

He appeared in the first eight matches of his rookie year and caught seven passes for 168 yards and two TDs before suffering a broken foot. The injury ended what was, till then, a successful first season at the collegiate level.

His next season saw him pick up from where he left off until the COVID-19 pandemic truncated the campaign. At the end of the season, he entered the NCAA transfer portal.

BYU snagged Nacua through the portal and added him to their receiving corps. In his first season with BYU, he caught 40 passes for 805 yards and six TDs. He later declared for the 2023 NFL Draft.

How is Puka Nacua performing in the NFL?

The Los Angeles Rams drafted Puka Nacua in the fifth round of the 2023 Draft. The Rams selected Nacua as insurance for the oft-injured Cooper Kupp heading into a pivotal 2023 season.

Upon entering the league, Nacua broke the NFL single-game record for catches by a rookie as he caught 15 passes for 147 yards in his debut against the San Francisco 49ers. Furthermore, his 25 catches over his first two games was another rookie record; he surpassed Earl Cooper's 43-year-old mark of 19 in the process.

Furthermore, Nacua also became the first player to record more than ten catches and more than 100 yards in each of his first two NFL games. He has built a connection with Rams' icon Matthew Stafford, and this connection might be critical to the Rams making the postseason in 2023.