John Sherman, also known as JuJu Smith-Schuster, is an American football wide receiver who currently plays for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for USC, he was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Smith-Schuster holds several NFL records, including being the youngest player to accumulate 2,500 receiving yards in a career and the first to score two offensive touchdowns of at least 97 yards. In addition, he holds numerous Steelers dynasty records. Off the field, he is well-known for his social media presence and love of esports. Smith-Schuster was one of the most marketable NFL players in 2019.
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Personal Life
JuJu Smith-Schuster is of African American and Samoan descent and was raised in Long Beach, California. He is the second oldest of seven children and considers himself a Christian. His cousin, Johnny Nansen, was once an assistant coach at USC. Smith-aunt Schuster gave him the nickname “JuJu” when he was only a few months old. She used to call him “John-John” before settling on “JuJu.” Their father was absent from their lives, and he only has one biological sister, So’omalo. Smith-mother, Schuster’s Sammy (Toa), met his stepfather, Lawrence Schuster when he was four years old. Smith-Schuster legally turned his last name to a compound name (Smith-Schuster) after turning 18 and adding the Schuster in honour of his stepfather.
Later, he attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California, which holds the record for producing the most football players who went on to play in the NFL. He was a safety and wide receiver for the Jackrabbits, the school’s football team. Smith-Schuster was a five-star recruit, the second-best wide receiver in his class, and the 24th-best player overall, according to Rivals.com. He had originally planned to attend Oregon, but during his televised commitment, he changed his mind and stated that he would attend the University of Southern California (USC) to play college football for then-head coach Steve Sarkisian.
Career
Smith-Schuster began playing football at the age of eight. As a tribute to his stepfather, he legally changed his last name from “Smith” to “Smith-Schuster” while attending college. In football program listings in 2012, he changed his name from “John” to “JuJu,” a nickname given to him by his aunt when he was a child. Smith-Schuster was coached by Snoop Dogg when he was a young player in the Snoop Youth Football League. Snoop gave Smith-Schuster the nickname “Sportscenter” and assured him that his highlights would appear on ESPN’s flagship show one day.
After the Steelers traded Antonio Brown to the Oakland Raiders before the start of the season, Smith-Schuster took over as the team’s leading wide receiver. Smith-Schuster caught six passes for 78 yards in the Eagles’ 33-3 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 1. He caught five passes for 84 yards in the Steelers’ 26-28 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2. Smith-Schuster surpassed Randy Moss to become the game’s youngest wide receiver to reach 2500 yards receiving (22 years, 297 days). Despite Smith-Schuster catching three passes for 81 yards and a 76-yard touchdown pass, the Pittsburgh Steelers fell 24-20 to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3.
Smith-Schuster caught seven passes for 75 yards and a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5 after a lacklustre performance against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4. He fumbled after receiving a pass, however, because Ravens defender Marlon Humphrey batted the ball out of Smith-hands Schuster’s hands, causing him to fumble. The Steelers were defeated 26-23 in overtime due to a costly turnover that allowed Baltimore to score the game-winning field goal. Juju caught five passes for 103 yards and a touchdown in Week 8’s 27-14 win over the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football. Smith-100-yard Schuster’s reception was his first of the season.
He was named First Team All-Pac-12 in 2015 after having 1,454 receiving yards and 10 touchdown catches. Smith-Schuster made his NFL debut and received credit for his first career start as a kick returner in the Steelers’ season-opening victory over the Cleveland Browns. Smith-Schuster debuted in the NFL as the league’s youngest player. Ben Roethlisberger’s four-yard pass to Juju in the Steelers’ 26-9 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2 marked both his first career reception and a touchdown catch.
Juju Smith-Schuster scored against the Vikings, making him the league’s youngest player since running back Andy Livingston in 1964. He surpassed Arnie Herber, who was 60 days younger than Juju when he caught a touchdown in 1930, to become the NFL’s second-youngest player to do so.
On December 5, 2017, Juju Smith-Schuster was suspended for one game for a blindside block against Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict in Week 13. As his team defeated the Cleveland Browns 28-24 in Week 17, he scored on a 96-yard kickoff return and added nine receptions for 143 yards and another score. Schuster’s performance made him the NFL’s youngest player with more than 1,000 all-purpose yards. Juju was also named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his kick return touchdown. He finished the season with seven touchdowns and 58 receptions for 917 yards, the most among rookies. He was named Polynesian Professional Football Player of the Year in 2017.
Although he saw less playing time as a junior in 2016, he still appeared in 13 games and had 914 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. He also had seven catches for 133 yards and a receiving touchdown in the Trojans’ Rose Bowl victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions that year. Juju announced after the 2016 season that he would forego his senior year and enter the 2017 NFL Draft before joining the sports agency Roc Nation.
Smith Fellow USC alumnus Lynn Swann described Schuster’s potential based on his undergraduate performance as follows: “He’s got the size. He’s got the strength. He’s got the attitude … In Juju, you’ve got a guy who’s got the kind of versatility you might be looking for” Smith, Juju- Schuster left USC before graduating, but later returned to take summer classes to complete his undergraduate degree.
In Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Juju Smith-Schuster became the first player in NFL history to score three touchdowns before the age of 21 after catching his third touchdown pass of the season on a 31-yard reception.
Juju Smith-Schuster made his first career start at wide receiver on October 29, 2017. He had a season-high seven receptions for 193 receiving yards and a 97-yard touchdown in a 20-15 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football. During the 2017 season, the 97-yard touchdown reception was the longest pass play in team history, as well as the longest touchdown catch in league history. Martavis Bryant, who was benched by head coach Mike Tomlin after publicly requesting one, was replaced at wide receiver by Juju.
Coach Mike Tomlin benched wide receiver, Martavis Bryant, when he made a trade request public, and Smith-Schuster took his position in the starting lineup. His 193 yards were the most by a rookie in the NFL since Jimmy Orr’s 205 in 1958, and they were the second-highest receiving yards by a Steelers rookie after Mike Evans’ 209 in Week 11 of 2014. He received the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award for his performance in Week 8.
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Juju Smith-Schuster with the 62nd overall pick in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He was the youngest player selected in the 2017 Draft and the 13th wide receiver from USC to be selected in the last 15 years.
JuJu Smith-Schuster Net Worth
With a $4 million net worth, JuJu Smith-Schuster has a net worth of $4,000,000 making him the most wealthy and well-liked football player.
FAQ
Who is JuJu Smith-Schuster Dating?
JuJu Smith-Schuster is still single and possibly looking for the perfect woman with whom to spend the rest of his life. Despite his celebrity and height of 6 feet 1, the football player does seem to be far more concerned with his profession than with having some fun. He has no long-term relationships with women, but he hopes to meet his lady someday.
When was JuJu Smith-Schuster Drafted?
JuJu Smith-Schuster was a 20-year-old with piercing eyes when the Pittsburgh Steelers chose him. Few rookie players have the opportunity to learn their craft from one of the best in the league, Antonio Brown, as he was doing it for him. The roles were switched when Chase Claypool was chosen in 2020.