(Steve Sanders)
JuJu Smith-Schuster, USC Trojan wide-receiver, former member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and now a member of the AFC Champions Kansas City Chiefs; Smith-Schuster is enjoying his pre-game days in Glendale, Arizona while waiting to play in the biggest game of his life, Super Bowl LVII. Smith-Schuster, the fun-loving jokester who doesn’t mind ‘good slime and is a proud, bona-fide Tik Tok afficionado, marches to the beat of his own drum.
When asked at Super Bowl media day what he’s learned about his new team, Smith-Schuster didn’t hesitate to answer; “We love cheeseburgers and Kansas City barbecue.” And Smith-Schuster is quite the fan of carrot cake, specifically, the cake they serve at the restaurant Ocean Prime.
(Steve Sanders)
And he had a message for Eagles fans; Smith-Schuster emphatically believes that the best Philly cheesesteak is not served in Philly! Imagine that…a statement that this writer will not touch. His favorite Disney movies are Frozen and Moana. When it comes to fashion, Smith-Schuster plans to purchase a few items from retired Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback Tom Brady’s clothing line but says a hard ‘no’ to the underwear items. This is Smith-Schuster, live and unedited, as he stays true to himself, being authentically JuJu.
Smith-Schuster joined the Kansas City Chiefs on a one-year deal during the free-agent market. With the Chiefs, Smith-Schuster has 78 receptions for 933 yards and three touchdowns. Not bad for a young man from the LBC – Long Beach City!
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A Pittsburgh Steeler for five seasons, Smith-Schuster had 323 catches for 3,855 yards and 26 touchdowns. As a Steeler, he was named to the 2019 Pro Bowl replacing his injured teammate, Antonio Brown. Steeler fans were surprised that he chose to leave but one thing is certain, Smith-Schuster always bets on himself.
“I’ve been betting on myself since I entered the N.F.L.,” Smith-Shuster said.
(Sam Lutz)
John Smith credits his aunt with giving him the moniker ‘JuJu’. He liked it from the very beginning, saying, “It’s a pretty catchy name.” Smith was four years old when his stepfather, Lawrence Schuster came into his life. It was his stepfather that introduced him to football. Smith-Schuster played high school ball at Long Beach Poly, a high school according to the LA Times, that has “produced more NFL players than any school in the United States.”
Initially, JuJu Smith thought he would attend Oregon but surprised his family with his commitment to the school 25 miles from Long Beach, the USC Trojans. Of his decision, Smith-Schuster said he loved that the school was close to home and his church.
(Sam Lutz)
I’m a very strong Christian man, he said. I can go home to church where everybody already knows me.”
In 2015, JuJu Smith paid tribute to his stepfather, legally changing his last name to the hyphenated Smith-Schuster. As a Trojan, he had 143 catches for 2,178 yards with 15 touchdowns along with 15 kickoff returns for 183 yards.
When asked about his career so far, Smith-Schuster believes that all roads have led to this moment. “I have played football since I was four years old. This is a dream come true, it feels unreal to play in the Super Bowl but dreams really do come true”.
