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SALUTING SERVICE — Puka Nacua isn't done yet after a record-setting rookie season in the NFL.
The former BYU wide receiver and Orem High standout broke a 63-year-old rookie record for receiving yards in his first year with the Los Angeles Rams, when the fifth-round pick caught 105 passes for 1,486 yards that included a playoff-record nine catches for 181 yards in the Rams' wild card loss to the Detroit Lions.
But on Monday, Nacua made news for more than his awe-inspiring catches or one-for-one Pro Bowl nominations. The PFWA All-Rookie selection announced he was helping send a military veteran to the Super Bowl.
Nacua teamed up with the USAA, a corporate sponsor of the NFL, as well as the Non-Commissioned Officers Association of America to send Air Force veteran and Chief Master Sergeant Jim Sullivan to Las Vegas for the Big Game.
Sullivan is a 23-year veteran of the Air Force who supported supply and logistics from 1978-2001, a position that took him across the United States and overseas to Greece and Germany to oversee warehouse designs, contracting and logistics operations. His two decades of service include the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation, Air Force Achievement Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and Airman of the Year award.
#ad The love and support from Rams fans made my rookie season unforgettable and I want to return the favor! I'm teaming up with @USAA and @NCOA_USA to send Air Force vet CMSgt Jim Sullivan, a Rams fan, to #SuperBowlLVIII in Las Vegas. Can't wait to meet you! #SaluteToServicepic.twitter.com/kytMgKVse5
— Puka Nacua (@AsapPuka) January 22, 2024
"As soon as I was drafted by Los Angeles, I was welcomed into the Ramily, so it's my privilege to give back to the faithful fans whenever I can," Nacua said in a statement. "I'm honored to partner with USAA and NCOA to send Air Force veteran and Rams fan, Chief Master Sergeant Jim Sullivan, to the Super Bowl as a way of saying thank you for his service to our country."
Described as a lifelong Rams fan by the NCOA, Sullivan now lives in Sacramento, where he works in the private sector for Aerojet Rocketdyne. He told the NCOA he plans to bring his close friend — a fellow Rams fan and Master Sergeant (retired) Michael Grabow — with him Feb. 11 to Las Vegas, where the duo will meet Nacua and other stars at the game broadcast on CBS.
Nacua will also travel to Orlando for the NFL Pro Bowl Games, one of four players from the Rams selected to the annual all-star game and one of seven players who played in the state of Utah selected to the AFC and NFC rosters.
