Netflix

Controversial NFL star Puka Nacua has laid bare his struggles with alcohol after reflecting on the 'darkest times' of his life in a tell-all interview with Netflix. The Rams star, who will take to the field for their season opener against the 49ers on Thursday night, has endured a tumultuous offseason littered with legal problems. The 25-year-old has been accused of biting a woman on the shoulder and making an 'unprovoked' antisemitic statement during a drunken New Year's Eve encounter. In the wake of the scandals, the wide receiver, who could still face a potential league suspension, checked into a rehab facility in an attempt to tackle his demons head on. Speaking openly about his decision to do so, as well as what he learned from the experience, he told Netflix's Elle Duncan: 'I learned that I am very avoidant of conflict and avoidant of the things that were causing me stress.' 'What was that stress?' He explained: 'The change in lifestyle that came up to me, becoming a public figure... the stress of performing at a high level.' 'And then I recently became a father - my son is 10 months old.' The Rams star continued by explaining that he was 'never willing to ask for help' despite the fresh challenge of co-parenting his son driving him to dark places. He added: 'I would isolate myself to feel that the weight of all the issues was stuck on my shoulders, and not being willing to ask for help. 'I was never one to share my fears and my worries. I was always finding different ways to escape from that tension and that stress.' 'Alcohol was definitely a thing for me. Just, kind of, drowning myself so that the issues and the stress that I was feeling never had the opportunity to be addressed.' 'When I entered the rehabilitation center, I was able to have open and honest conversations.' Having gone through the rehabilitation process, the Rams star believes he's now on the right path to becoming the man who his son can be 'proud of'. 'These are the darkest times that I've had in my life. And as my son gets older, I can share with him the things I've learned from the mistakes I've made.' 'I want to be able to go to any environment that he might be a part of and have him say: 'This is my dad'.' #pukanacua #puka #larams #rams #losangelesrams