Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua recently appeared on Julian Edelman's Games with Names podcast, where he opened up about the NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers. Along with sharing his take on quarterback Brock Purdy's contract future, Nacua offered high praise for a 49ers defender he deeply respects—All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner.
"He takes up so much space," Nacua shared. "He can run, and then he fits so well in the run game. It's something about BYU, man. The Cougs, we produce some good guys."
Like Warner, Nacua played his college football at BYU. Drafted in the fifth round by the Rams in 2023, he's now faced the 49ers four times—including twice at home. And those home games brought another topic to the forefront.
Sea of red at SoFi Stadium
Nacua was caught off guard during his first home matchup against the 49ers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on September 17, 2023. It was the Rams' home opener, and the then-rookie was eager to experience the energy of a supportive home crowd.
What he encountered instead was a sea of red.
"The first week went so well," Nacua recalled. "Second week now, and then, when you come out to the pre-game, everybody's wearing red. The lower bowl's already filled up, and everybody in the stadium is wearing red. I'm like, 'Yo, this is supposed to be our first home game.' And everybody's like, 'Get used to it. When we play the Niners, everybody shows up wearing red.'"
Since the Rams moved back to Los Angeles, SoFi Stadium has often been overtaken by 49ers fans—thanks to the Bay Area's relative proximity and the large number of Niners supporters already in Southern California, a region that was without an NFL team for two decades.
"Just like, a sea of red. It was crazy," Nacua continued. "Come out and do the intros, and it's like, 'Are people cheering or is everybody booing?' It's just random noise and just was like, 'boooo.' And I'm like, 'What the heck?'
"It doesn't feel right because in high school, college, BYU home games, you go to some crazy stadiums, but this is our field. This is our home field, and everybody is wearing the opposite color of what we're supposed to be wearing.
"But yeah, the intro, I remember took me for a whirlwind of being like, 'Yo, they just called my name and we just got booed.' Our whole team, everybody got booed. I'm like, 'This can't be real, right?'"