Rome Odunze has his sights set on a former teammate’s NFL record

Rome Odunze wants to break his former Husky teammate Puka Nacua’s NFL records in his rookie season.

USC quarterback Caleb Williams and Washington Huskies wide receiver Rome Odunze have some high expectations around their NFL futures after they were selected as the No. 1 and No. 9 overall picks respectively in the 2024 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears.

Odunze met with the media on Wednesday and did nothing but add to those expectations while shouting out another former UW receiver, Puka Nacua, who set NFL rookie records for catches and yards in 2023.

“I think it’s very important to set goals and strive for the highest of the high,” Odunze said. “It’s unique in my situation because I went to school with Puka Nacua, so I was following him and got to see what he did so I’m absolutely chasing that.”

Odunze and Nacua only spent the 2020 season together, as the Rams star transferred to BYU following the year to be closer to his family, but Odunze has looked up to Nacua for a long time.

“We knew Puka was like that because he was going he was going against Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon – who, I mean, Trent McDuffie, in my opinion might be the best corner in the league,” Odunze told Ryan Clark on “The Pivot” podcast in April.

“He’s a dog. He was the one that taught us to go smack a D-end or go block a linebacker. So we knew he was him.”

Now, Odunze isn’t just chasing his record, but he’s also chasing greatness with the Bears and wants to etch his name among Chicago’s all-time best receivers.

“I think chasing those records is important because I said this at Washington, I want to leave the Bears organization better than I found it. If I have name on some of those records, I feel like that’s just one facet of me doing so.”