Connect with us

Sports

Puka Nacua plans to hang up his cleats as Aaron Donald did: 'I want to retire at the age of 30'

Published

on

Puka Nacua plans to hang up his cleats as Aaron Donald did: 'I want to retire at the age of 30'

Puka Nacua already knows when he wants to retire.

It’s not anytime soon, but it’s probably a lot sooner than Rams fans might want to think about right now.

Asked during a recent podcast appearance how he might know when it’s time to hang up his cleats, the 23-year-old star receiver did not hesitate in answering.

“I know I want to retire at the age of 30,” Nacua said on an episode of “Join the Lobby” that went live Saturday.

Advertisement

That’s either six or seven seasons away, depending on when during the start of his fourth decade Nacua (born May 29, 2001) decides to call it a career.

Nacua cited former Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald as his inspiration. Donald was a three-time defensive player of the year and made the Pro Bowl in all 10 of his NFL seasons before retiring last offseason at age 32.

“I think of Aaron Donald,” Nacua said. “To go out at the top, I think it would be super cool.”

But Nacua said he has at least five other reasons.

“I want to have a big family,” said Nacua, who is the second-youngest sibling in a family with four brothers and a sister. “I want to have at least a starting five. I came from a big family, so I need five boys. I want to be able to be a part of their lives and be as active as I can with them.”

Advertisement

Selected by the Rams in the fifth round of the 2023 draft, Nacua was an instant sensation, setting NFL rookie records for total receptions (105) and receiving yards (1,486) and earning a Pro Bowl berth. Last year, he was hampered by a right knee sprain that caused him to miss five games early in the season.

Nacua said he only wants to risk sustaining a major injury for so long before devoting his time to fatherhood and a post-football career that will possibly involve real estate and owning restaurants.

“The injuries are something you can’t control [as] part of the game, so you never know,” he said. “Hopefully, the rest of the career can go healthy, but you have shoulder surgery, you have knee surgery, you have ankle [issues]. By the time my kids could be 18, I could be barely walking if you play the game and sustain all the injuries and stuff like that.”

Advertisement

Sports

Eagles' Jalen Hurts skipping Trump visit as teammate spends time with him at golf course

Published

on

Eagles' Jalen Hurts skipping Trump visit as teammate spends time with him at golf course

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Hurts reportedly made a decision on whether he would attend the team’s Super Bowl celebration at the White House with President Donald Trump on Monday.

Hurts will not attend due to “scheduling conflicts,” Fox News confirmed.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts speaks to the media after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Feb. 9, 2025. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

Advertisement

The word of Hurts’ decision came hours before the celebration was set to take place. Hurts raised eyebrows last week when he dodged a question on the red carpet for the Time100 Gala about attending the celebration.

Hurts didn’t give a glowing review of the president’s decision to attend Super Bowl LIX, which saw Philadelphia defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22.

“He’s welcome to do what he wants,” Hurts said in February.

NFL NETWORK’S KYLE BRANDT SLAMS MEDIA OVER SHEDEUR SANDERS DRAFT COVERAGE

Jalen Hurts looks on

Honoree Jalen Hurts attends the Time100 Gala, celebrating the 100 most influential people in the world, at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 24, 2025, in New York.  (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Meanwhile, running back Saquon Barkley was seen with Trump at his golf course in New Jersey on Sunday. He rode back to Washington on Air Force One with the president.

Advertisement

Barkley pushed back on the criticism he received on social media for his interactions with Trump.

“lol some people are really upset cause I played golfed and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT,” Barkley wrote on X. “Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand. Just golfed with Obama not too long ago… and look forward to finishing my round with Trump ! Now ya get out my mentions with all this politics and have amazing day.”

Saquon Barkley and Trump

President Donald Trump talks to Philadelphia Eagles’ Saquon Barkley before boarding Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in New Jersey. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Eagles team owner Jeffrey Lurie and head coach Nick Sirianni have both expressed their excitement to head to the White House.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Sports

Prep talk: Venice baseball is 21-1 and rising in City Section

Published

on

Prep talk: Venice baseball is 21-1 and rising in City Section

With a 12-2 win over Loyola on Saturday, Venice’s baseball team improved to 21-1 and is positioning itself for a high seeding in the City Section Open Division playoffs.

While the winner of the West Valley League, either Birmingham or El Camino Real, is the likely No. 1 seed, Venice has a good argument to be right behind. The Gondoliers are 14-0 in the Western League and own wins over Valley Mission League leader Sun Valley Poly and have a win over El Segundo, which is 17-6-1.

Coach Kevin Brockway has a senior-dominated team that includes Noel Moreno, who is 8-1 with an 0.58 ERA. Sophomore Jace Lindblom is 5-0 and senior Canon King is 6-0. Having three quality pitchers is a must to win a City Open Division title.

King leads the team in hitting with 30 hits. Venice has six games left on its regular-season schedule, with matchups against San Fernando and San Pedro set to be the toughest.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Shilo Sanders joins Bucs after he falls completely out of NFL Draft

Published

on

Shilo Sanders joins Bucs after he falls completely out of NFL Draft

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Shedeur Sanders was not the only person in Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders’ household to have a significant fall during the NFL Draft over the weekend.

Shilo Sanders, the defensive back who also played for the Colorado Buffaloes, failed to be selected at all. He was a bit of a long shot to be drafted, and experts predicted he would become an undrafted free agent once the event wrapped up on Saturday.

Colorado Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders (Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)

Advertisement

Sanders did find a time after the seven rounds finished. He signed a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and will now embark on a quest to make the 53-man roster before summer is over.

He said on Saturday afternoon that he needed to fire his father as his agent.

“Dad was our agent, but that hasn’t been working out too good,” he said during a Twitch livestream. “So today I had to sign with an agent. So, we’re going to see what happens.”

SHEDEUR SANDERS PRANK CALL CONTROVERSY YIELDS STUNNING DEVELOPMENT

Shilo Sanders and the ref

Colorado Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders (Dylan Widger-Imagn Images)

Sanders transferred to Colorado once his father took over as the head coach of the Buffaloes. He initially went to South Carolina.

Advertisement

He played in 21 games for Colorado between the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He had 137 tackles, one interception and one sack during his career. The lone interception was returned for a touchdown.

Sanders making the roster will be a tough journey.

Shilo Sanders looks on

Colorado Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders (Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)

Tampa Bay selected cornerbacks Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish in the draft. The team already has Zyon McCollum, Jamel Dean, Josh Hayes, Tyreek Funderburk and Bryce Hall as corners; Antoine Winfield Jr., Christian Izien, Kaevon Merriweather and Marcus Banks are listed as safeties.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Advertisement

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending