Seeing player reactions, and the emotions behind them, is one of the best reasons to watch the NFL Draft. We remember John Elway and Eli Manning being upset with the teams who drafted them. We wondered how Joe Thomas could go fishing on the biggest day of his life. Takkarist McKinley stunned us with an F-bomb that was newsworthy, but not compelling. JuJu Smith-Schuster, however, captured our hearts with the most spontaneous reaction ever. Smith-Schuster celebrated his selection by jumping into the Pacific Ocean with his family. Since then, he has embraced Pittsburgh with more enthusiasm than any draft pick in their history. Steeler nation has responded by embracing Smith-Schuster with equal enthusiasm. His teammates readily acknowledge that Smith-Schuster brings fresh energy to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
JuJu Smith-Schuster Brings Fresh Energy To The Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers had a need for a wide receiver, and drafted Smith-Schuster in the second round last May based on his talent and strength of character. They projected him to bring toughness to the group, but had no idea the energy he’d bring as well. At 20 years old, Smith-Schuster is the NFL’s youngest player, but carries himself with a maturity beyond his years. Smith-Schuster, last April, wrote a column for the Players Tribune that was titled “NFL Draft Cover Letter”. This piece provided a glimpse into his character and passion for the game.
“Dear NFL Coaches and General Managers, I know what you’re looking for in a football player. Really … I do. You’re looking for two things: a guy who loves to compete and who loves the game of football.”
“Aside from the game of football, there’s nothing I love more than competing. I take pride in knowing that when I’m at my best, nobody can stop me — that my best is better than anybody else’s best. That’s just the confidence you have to have to play this game at a high level.”
“You can’t play this game if you don’t love competition. But you also have to have a passion for the game itself. Which is why I want you to go back and watch some film — but not my highlights. I believe that what I can do with the football in my hands speaks for itself. I want you to watch me when I don’t have the ball.”
Those words bring to mind former Steelers receiver, Hines Ward, who also took pride in making plays without the ball. They remind the Steelers fan base that Smith-Schuster brings fresh energy to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Smith-Schuster is Lit All The Time
Smith-Schuster wears Spongebob Squarepants pajamas, and his bed has pulsating LED lights. He writes down his daily chores and bible verses on a dry erase board. Smith-Schuster loves video games, cooking, and entertaining. Apparently he also loves playing hide and seek, as his recent endzone celebration would suggest. He engaged in a little hide and seek with a couple of young fans at a Pittsburgh Penguins game last week. Speaking of fans, Smith-Schuster loves interacting with them any chance he gets, in person and on social media.
He knows who to avoid on social media, as Mia Khalifa learned all too well. It didn’t take long for the fans to pile on the porn star, in support of the fun loving receiver. The Steelers official Twitter page jumped in the frey as well.
Smith-Schuster immediately won the city and the fans over by embracing Pittsburgh the moment he was drafted. His teammates love him too. Vince Williams calls Smith-Schuster the most refreshing teammate ever. He is a ray of sunshine and a ball of energy who brings out the kid in everyone around him.
Ghost Rider Gets His Wheels Back
The largest search party in Western Pennsylvania history ended successfully last week when Smith-Schuster got his wheels back. Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but lots of people did search for the stolen mountain bike. Antonio Brown offered two free tickets as a reward to whoever returned the bike to the team’s facilities. WTAE news got involved, making it their top story. Pittsburgh came to Smith-Schuster’s aid, and soon after, his beloved Ghost mountain bike was returned.
Alejandro Villanueva is doing his part to make sure Smith-Schuster never has to walk again by giving him driving lessons. By the end of this week, if all goes well, Smith-Schuster will have his license and can buy a car. He had fun with his transportation ordeal on Twitter, just like everything else in life. Smith-Schuster appreciates what he has, and where he is at, and has fun at all times. Perhaps a little bit of his good JuJu will rub off on Martavis Bryant one day. All in all, it has been a great week for Smith-Schuster. He is the Steelers player of the week after a breakout performance, and he got his bike back. It couldn’t have happened to a better person. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Smith-Schuster brings fresh energy to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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