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Sarah Barshop
WAILUKU, Hawaii — WHEN LOS ANGELES Rams receiver Puka Nacua stepped off the aircraft in Maui on Monday for obligatory minicamp, he was greeted by a member of the welcoming committee with an enormous hug and a “thanks a lot for every thing you do for the Polynesian group.”
Nacua, whose Polynesian background has made him beloved in Hawaii, stated training in Maui for minicamp “seems like residence.”
The Rams traveled to Maui for minicamp partially for crew bonding and to assist a group affected by devastating wildfires practically two years in the past. The touring social gathering included roughly 500 individuals, together with gamers, coaches, crew employees, in addition to any members of the family who needed to come back.
The journey, head coach Sean McVay stated, was about “connection,” not solely between these on the crew but additionally between these within the Rams’ group and a Hawaiian group nonetheless recovering from the fires in Maui in 2023.
“It is about connection and having the ability to get a while,” McVay stated. “It is cool to have the ability to actually, for me, meet lots of these guys’ households that possibly I have never met fairly but or see their wives or girlfriends or their youngsters, and in order that’s been a very cool factor to date.
“That is about having the ability to get some good high quality time with one another after which having the ability to use the platform that we’re blessed with to have the ability to get again to a group that went by some related issues that we are able to all perceive and form of empathize with, and also you see how excited they’re to see our gamers and that is enjoyable.”
THE RAMS’ RELATIONSHIP with Hawaii goes again a few years, and a number of other members of the local people on the crew luau Monday evening famous they remembered the youngsters camps a number of Rams gamers held in the course of the Seventies.
Extra just lately, the Rams started broadcasting preseason video games throughout the Hawaiian Islands in 2018 and performed a preseason sport in opposition to the Dallas Cowboys at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu in 2019. Final offseason, the Rams started to debate a partnership with the Hawaii Tourism Authority, with the thought of holding the crew’s obligatory minicamp in Maui.
After the Maui wildfires in August 2023, the Rams devoted a preseason sport to boost cash for American Pink Cross reduction efforts for these in want.
Final month, Rams crew president Kevin Demoff stated the dedication to holding minicamp in Maui was only for this 12 months, however quarterback Matthew Stafford stated he would take pleasure in seeing it proceed.
“I’ve had a blast,” Stafford stated. “That is form of above my pay grade; these those that make these choices will determine that out, however we have had fun. I do know our crew has loved the expertise, and it has been lots of enjoyable.”
At Tuesday’s follow, the Rams’ offensive gamers took half in a ladies’ flag soccer camp on one subject whereas the protection hosted a boys’ sort out soccer clinic on the opposite subject. Davante Adams was a part of a gaggle engaged on routes with the women flag soccer gamers.
“I really feel prefer it’s nearly for me as a result of I am having time and connecting with the youngsters,” Adams stated. “… It is only a cool approach to join and present appreciation for them for permitting us to be right here. And so they’ve gone by loads just lately too, so it is simply good to deliver some positivity to them.”
On the similar time, the Rams’ rookie class went to Lahaina to hitch Habitat for Humanity Maui because it rebuilt 4 houses in an space affected by the wildfires.
Demoff stated the Rams have seen “the passion and gracious welcome from the group.”
“So many individuals [are] excited in regards to the Rams being right here,” Demoff stated. “What it means for the youngsters who we labored with on the sphere yesterday, the individuals within the stands, and watching your entire group gentle up across the NFL crew coming and spending the week with them right here in Maui and serving to them not solely rebuild however simply give them a spark of pleasure and confidence.”
WHEN ADAMS JOINED the Rams this offseason, one factor that stood out to him was the “college-type of camaraderie” that exists within the group.
Adams stated he discovered “it took a little bit extra time for me to get built-in into the Jets crew than it did getting right here,” whereas acknowledging that he joined the Jets in the course of the season and did not get pleasure from an offseason together with his new teammates.
The Rams hope that bond is constant to strengthen in Maui, “whether or not it is the 30 or 40 gamers who had been within the ocean collectively yesterday, the karaoke movies I’ve seen, watching the gamers hula dance on the luau collectively on Monday evening,” Demoff stated. “Simply unbelievable crew bonding.
“I believe that can set a basis for the season, as we come again into coaching camp and hopefully have the possibility for an extended 12 months. But it surely’s uncommon you get your entire crew in a relaxed surroundings the place they will go spend an evening collectively going out with out, and so they have their households right here, however they do not have the opposite tasks that come at residence of every thing else it’s a must to do. And so I believe the crew unity, the crew bonding, together with simply the immense help we have had for the Maui group have left a mark on all of us.”
The Rams are particularly well-equipped to develop their relationship with Hawaii as a result of they’ve a Polynesian star in Nacua. The receiver’s recognition among the many crowd confirmed early and infrequently throughout his time in Maui.
As he ran onto the sphere Wednesday at Struggle Memorial Stadium, the group roared. In entrance of hundreds, Nacua raced from one aspect of the sphere to the opposite, working alongside the far bleachers and high-fiving followers within the entrance row earlier than returning to the follow subject.
When requested in regards to the Polynesian gamers he grew up watching, Nacua listed quarterback Marcus Mariota, broad receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and Corridor of Fame security Troy Polamalu.
When requested what it feels prefer to know that at some point the followers and highschool soccer gamers watching him within the stands in Maui would possibly at some point be placing him in the identical dialog, Nacua stated, “It would not really feel actual.”
“I am having a blast,” Nacua stated. “And it would not really feel actual generally that persons are sporting my jersey, however I hope that they carry the issues which might be a part of our tradition: respect to have the distinction and the self-discipline to characterize your loved ones, but additionally these issues carry and translate straight into soccer.”
Stafford referred to as the possibility to follow in Maui “a singular alternative,” saying the crew will hopefully encourage some younger Puka Nacuas.
“It is such a reciprocal relationship,” Demoff stated. “… Watching him on the autograph signing yesterday with traces out the door, watching his reception right here, watching him give his chain to the woman taking part in flag soccer, he is clearly the largest star we have now on the crew for this group.
“However then I believe for the individuals right here, it is a reminder that they will change into the following Puka Nacua and the truth that the crew is right here, whether or not it was ladies’ flag soccer or the blokes’ highschool groups that they had been interacting with yesterday. I believe seeing somebody like Puka offers them hope of what they will change into and a job mannequin to aspire to if you see how real he’s, the way in which he interacts with them with coronary heart and intention, it solely makes the entire story higher.”
