Rams' Puka Nacua Shares Thoughts on Maui Minicamp

“I think it's a really great opportunity for what the intent is," stated McVay. "The people that asked me about it, they were smart about the timing of when they asked me about this knowing when I would agree to it. But it is a really cool opportunity. Most importantly, you just talk about some of the similarities of what the LA community has gone through and what the Maui community has gone through. It’s a chance to be able to broaden the reach and then there's going to be a lot of people that are excited to see our players."

"What I do think we have is a lot of guys that understand what a blessing it is to have this platform, to be a mentor and really, how do you move and how do you handle yourself? And how do you make sure that this is a blessing, it's never a burden? And our guys really understand the importance of using that the right way. I think this will be a great chance for us to be able to bring families, do some fun stuff to be able to connect and then also be able to give back to the community. Even last week, (Defensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator) Giff Smith comes over to me and asks, ‘Are there going to be opportunities for Habitat for Humanity? Can you do that with the families?’ And you just have a lot of cool people that have a heart for others and I think that becomes contagious in the right ways. When you do good things, I just feel like that inevitably comes back to you and you never regret doing the right thing and using these blessings for the right reasons and I think that's what this trip represents."

The Rams performed multiple community service acts as well as enjoyed some much needed R&R before training camp begins in July.

The Rams were spotted signing autographs, enjoying karaoke, and interacting with the community in their free time while enjoying the local cuisine, especially spam musubis.

Puka Nacua, the Rams' most notable face for their push of their brand into the Pacific, expressed his takeaways after visiting the island, including the city of Lahaina. Lahaina was devastated by a wildfire in 2023.

"I think it's something that we all can relate to," Nacua said. "It's something like, being able to understand and have that empathy of like this is a similar situation to what we were in, and I wasn't directly impacted by the (Los Angeles) fires, but to know the support that you want to give to those people who are going through that issue, and to see how it can change and bring a community closer together in that time, I think our team has felt that."

"And to be able to come back and give back to these kids and see a smile on their face, and to help make sure they have a good time, is something that I always want to be a part of. I know our team and the Rams organization, being able to come back here, they were saying last night at the luau that they've been doing camps and tours here since 1973 and I'm like, 'I'm glad I was able to be a part of that first time we've come back in a little while.' So hopefully minicamp's here every year. It'll be a good vacation for us all."

With the Rams engaging in a developing partnership with the Hawaii Tourism Authority, minicamp in Maui may become an annual event.