Christmas came early for Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua when he had a career-best game Thursday, and his team didn’t let the holiday magic stop there for the young receiver.
The Rams social media team decided to give Nacua the perfect Christmas gift: the football from his first NFL touchdown.
Nacua scored his first touchdown — a game-winning touchdown in overtime — on Oct. 1 against the Indianapolis Colts. After scoring, the rookie chucked the ball into the stands instead of keeping it as a memento.
The admin for the Ram’s social media team became a detective and tracked down the fan who caught the ball in Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium and retrieved it for Nacua, according to a reel the Rams shared on Instagram.
They put it in a plexiglass case and engraved the date of the touchdown on a plaque attached to the case. The gift for Nacua included a handwritten note that read, “Please do not throw into the stands,” poking fun at the young receiver for his quite literal rookie mistake.
The social media team then wrapped the ball up in Rams-blue wrapping paper before putting it into a couple more boxes like a Russian nesting doll.
“Oh another box,” Nacua said while unwrapping. “You guys better be recycling all this stuff.”
After ripping through several layers of boxes, wrapping paper and air pillows, the former BYU Cougar pulled out his gift.
“Let’s go! This is the first one out there in Indianapolis,” he said with a chuckle. “That is sweet. Thank you, admin. It was worth all of the boxes.”
On Wednesday, Nacua got another special treat: He learned that his 164-yard and one touchdown performance against the New Orleans Saints Thursday earned him the NFC’s Offensive Player of the Week honors.
How can the Rams clinch a playoff spot in 2023?
The Rams and Nacua can clinch a spot in the playoffs this week by beating the New York Giants on New Year’s Eve, Sunday, Dec. 31, and if one or both of the following scenarios happen, according to Ram Digest:
- The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Seattle Seahawks.
- The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings tie.