New Orleans Saints receiver Samson Nacua made a memorable special teams play that he and his team will remember for a long time, even though the way it ended left him feeling regretful.
Nacua wasn’t expecting to be on the field when special teams coaches sent him out to potentially return a 58-yard field goal attempt by Tennessee’s backup kicker, Brayden Narveson, late in the first half of a preseason game on Sunday.
What happened next was a 106-yard return across the field from the back of New Orleans’ end zone.
Nacua was pushed out of bounds at the Tennessee 3-yard line by Titans tight end Thomas Odukoya.
Since time had expired, this unusual play didn’t give New Orleans a chance to score in their 30-27 loss. However, it was an exciting display of athleticism that lasted nearly 20 seconds from when the ball landed in Nacua’s hands.
“I let the guys down,” said the 26-year-old Nacua, who is the older brother of Rams receiver Puka Nacua. “I should have pitched it to the teammate who was right there and let him walk it in.”
Nacua was signed during training camp. He has never played in a regular NFL game but has experience in the USFL and UFL after his college days at Utah and BYU.
After the game on Sunday, Nacua hadn’t checked his phone yet, but he saw that many messages from family and friends had come in.
“They’re probably going to tell me I’m the slower brother — and I’m going to be sick because I know I’m faster than Puka,” Nacua said with a grin.
“Going sideways made it feel like an extra 60 yards because I got to the 50-yard line and thought, ‘My legs are gone,’” he said. “I was so tired.”
