JuJu Smith-Schuster is a professional American football player in the National Football League. He was drafted into the NFL in 2017 by the Pittsburg Steelers and played for them in 2021 before signing to play for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021. In 2018, he was selected to play in the Pro Bowl. The year before that, he was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.
Player Profile and Personal Life
John Sherman “JuJu” Smith-Schuster was born on November 22, 1996, in Long Beach, California. At a young age, he showed interest in football and started playing when he was just eight. An aunt gave him the nickname “Juju”. He started using the last name “Smith-Schuster” in honor of his stepfather and his biological father.
Smith-Schuster is of American-Samoan descent. He is cousins with Johnny Nansen who was a former assistant coach at the University of Southern California. He has an affinity for esports and he has his own YouTube channel and he is a streamer on Twitch.
| Team |
Kansas City Chiefs
|
| Position | Wide Receiver |
| Height / weight | 1.85 m / 98 kg |
| Born | 22 Nov 1996 |
| Nationality |
United States
|
| Nickname | Juju |
| Team History | |
|
Kansas City Chiefs
|
2022 - present |
Pittsburgh Steelers
|
2017 - 2021 |
High School and College Career
He attended the Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California. He played both wide receiver and safety for the team. By the time he was a senior, he was rated a five-star recruit. He committed to play for USC. The coach at the time was Steve Sarkisian.
He stayed with UFC from 2014 to 2016. During that time, he was named to the First-team All-PAC 12 team in 2012 and the Second-team All-PAC 12 in 2016.
Professional Career
He chose to forgo the rest of his college eligibility and declared for the NFL Draft. He was selected by the Pittsburg Steelers who signed him a few weeks later. He debuted for them in the season-opening. In his rookie year, he was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.
In the 2018 season, he was selected to play in the Pro Bowl. His teammates also voted him as MVP. When the team traded Antonio Brown to the Oakland Raiders, Smith-Schuster became their No.1 receiver.
In 2020, he had some controversy regarding his pre-game antics, including dancing on the opponent’s midfield logos for TikTok. He re-signed with the team in 2021 for 1 year. When the contract expired, he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022.
Career Highlights:
- 2018 - Pro Bowl
- 2017 - PFWA All-Rookie Team
- 2015 - First-team All-Pac-12
- 2016 - Second-team All-Pac-12
