Wailku, Hawaii – In Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua got off a Maui plane on Monday for a mandatory mini-camp. He was greeted as a member of the Welcome Committee, saying, “I am grateful for everything you do for the Polynesian community.”
Nakua, who loved him in Hawaii, said that practicing in Maui for a mini-camp “feels like home.”
The Rams traveled to Maui for mini-camps, some to support communities affected by the devastating wildfires nearly two years ago. The travel party included around 500 people, including players, coaches, team staff and families who wanted to come.
The trip said it was about “connections” not only between people on the team but also people from the Rams organization and Hawaiian communities recovering from the Maui fire in 2023.
“It’s about connecting and being able to spend time,” McVay said. “It’s cool for me to be able to meet so many families of people.
“This is that we can get good quality time with each other and then use the platform we are blessed with, and we can go back to a community where we experience some similar things that we all understand and relate to.
Rams’ relationship Back in Hawaii, several members of Team Luau’s local community on Monday night remembering that some Rams players remembered their children’s camp in the 1970s.
More recently, the Rams began airing preseason games in the Hawaiian Islands in 2018, and played preseason games with the Dallas Cowboys at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu in 2019. The Rams have begun discussing their partnership with the Hawaii Tourism Board.
After the Maui wildfires in August 2023, the Rams dedicated a preseason game to raise funds for the American Red Cross rescue efforts for those in need.
Last month, Rams team president Kevin Demov said his commitment to hosting a minicamp in Maui was this year, but quarterback Matthew Stafford said he would enjoy watching it continue.
“I exploded,” Stafford said. “It’s on top of my pay grade. People who make those decisions understand that, but we had a great time. Our team enjoyed the experience and it was a lot of fun.”
During practice Tuesday, the Rams offensive player took part in a women’s flag football camp on one field, while the defense held a boys tackle football clinic on the other field. Davante Adams was part of a group working on a route with a girl’s flag football player.
“I have a good time and connect with the kids, so it’s pretty much a feeling for me,” Adams said. “…it’s a cool way to show their gratitude for allowing us to be here, and they’ve also gone through a lot recently.
At the same time, the Rams rookie class went to Lahaina to join Habitat for Humanity Maui and rebuilt four homes in the area affected by the wildfires.
Demov said the Rams saw “enthusiasm and elegant welcome from the community.”
“Lots of people [are] Demov is excited that the Rams are here. “What means yesterday, the kids we worked with on the field, the people in the stands, and the whole community are brightly looking around the NFL teams, is that it’s just a week coming here in Maui and they’re not only rebuilding, but they only give sparks of joy and confidence.”
When Adams joined One thing that stood out for the Rams this offseason was the “college-type camaraderie” that existed in the organization.
Adams said “it took a little longer than it took a little longer to integrate into the Jets team,” and admitted that he joined the Jets during the season and not benefited from the offseason with his new teammates.
The Rams hope that Bond continues to be strengthened in Maui. “We’re watching a karaoke video I saw dancing with a flau at the rou on Monday night,” Demov said, whether it was 30 or 40 athletes at the beach together. “Incredible team bonds.
“I hope we have a long-standing opportunity to come back to training camp, but we can bring the whole team out together in a relaxed environment. For all of us.”
The Rams have a Polynesian star in Naqua, so they are particularly well equipped to expand their ties with Hawaii. The popularity of the recipients among the crowds showed early and frequently in his time on Maui.
The crowd cried as he ran to the field at War Memorial Stadium on Wednesday. In front of thousands, Nakua competed from one side of the field to the other, running along the front row along the far bleach and high altitude fans before returning to the training field.
When asked about the Polynesian player he grew up watching, Nakua listed quarterback Marcus Mariota, wide receiver Juju Smith Sushaster and Hall of Fame Safety Troy Polamal.
When asked that one day the fans and high school football players who are watching him in Maui’s stands may be putting him in the same conversation, Nakua said, “It’s not the real thing.”
“I’m exploding,” Nakua said. “And while it’s not realistic at times for people to wear my jerseys, I hope they carry things that are part of our culture. Not only do we respect that we have the honor and discipline to represent your family, we bring those things directly into football and translate them.”
Stafford calls the opportunity to practice in Maui a “unique opportunity” and hopes the team will inspire young Pukanakia.
“That’s that kind of interaction,” Demov said. “… Yesterday, I signed in line through the door and watched his reception here, watched him give a chain to a girl playing flag football, watched him as the biggest star we have on this community team, watched him.
“But for the people here, it reminds me that they can become the next Pukanakua. Whether the team is here, whether it’s the girl’s flag football you interacted with yesterday or the boys’ high school team, you can see people like Puka and you want to aspire to see how proud he is when you’re looking at his whole heart when you’re proud.
