The Los Angeles Rams have been supportive of Puka Nacua, but head coach Sean McVay has also been clear that the uber-talented wide receiver must show better judgment off the field to secure the future with the organization that seemed inevitable.
Nacua has shown signs of progress, one of which in particular has drawn the attention of an NFL insider, who believes it can have a lasting impact.
That is good news for the Rams, who know how impactful Nacua is on the field.
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GettyPuka Nacua’s comments are getting new life thanks to an NFL insider.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter spoke candidly about his appreciation for Nacua, following the Rams’ star opening up about taking steps to address the underlying causes of his off-field behaviors,
Schefter specifically hung onto Nacua’s comments about journaling daily.
“There are a couple of things I love about that. First of all, he’s acknowledging that he’s had issues. He’s seeking help. He’s not afraid to admit it. In this day and age, where people are talking openly about their mental health, Puka Nacua is doing the same. But I love … that he talked about he didn’t know how much it would help to write in a journal. I’ve written a journal,” Schefter said on “The Adam Schefter Podcast” on June 29.
“I have every single day of my life documented since 1990. You could ask me, ‘Hey, what happened on June 28th, 1992?’ And I could go into my journal and call up a whole day of activities. Every single day. I don’t miss writing in my journal. And it is therapeutic.”
Schefter added, “You go back, and you look, and you see how you thought things at certain times in your life were really significant and really mattered, and they really didn’t matter. And it gives you a whole new perspective. It gives you an outlet. I love that Puka is doing it, and I would encourage anybody out there to do the same.”
Nacua certainly spoke about the practice as something that he plans to continue after experiencing the benefits.
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GettyPuka Nacua spoke candidly during the Los Angeles Rams’ offseason program.
Nacua noted his journaling as part of an ongoing process that first began with him checking himself into a private rehabilitation center this past offseason amid an ongoing lawsuit over an alleged biting incident.
That incident followed a string of other missteps by Nacua, including openly criticizing the NFL referees and planning a touchdown celebration that was viewed as antisemitic.
Nacua, who did not go through with the celebration and apologized, has noticed a big change.
“It was, I guess, a short stint,” Nacua told reporters in May of his self-imposed rehab stay this offseason. “I work with our team therapist over here, and then continuing some of those meetings weekly.
“Little did I know that even just writing in a journal has been as simple as that, and just finding ways to express some of the things that I find near and dear to my heart, and then also just to write down the accomplishments. There’s been a lot of good things amidst some of these things that have been challenging for me. But it’s been a great improvement in my life.”
Nacua’s situation is high-profile, but the Rams’ star is among the increasing number of athletes who are speaking more openly about their personal battles.
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Shefter argued that Nacua’s actions require a conscious effort on his part to maintain, i.e., self-accountability for the Rams star. It may pale in comparison to the issues that threatened to derail him, but the impact could prove just as great.
Schefter offered advice to those who were similarly looking for an outlet.
“It takes a lot of discipline. It takes a commitment. People wonder, ‘How do you do that every day?’” Schefter said.
“You just carve out some time. You’re on your phone, you’re scrolling through Instagram or Twitter or social media. Take 15 minutes and just write about the memorable moments of your day. A thoughtful conversation you have with somebody, a point that somebody made that stayed with you, a restaurant that you ate at that you liked–just things that matter.”
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