JuJu Smith-Schuster Bio
John Sherman “JuJu” Smith-Schuster is an American professional football wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Born in Long Beach, California, he played college football for the USC Trojans, where he earned second-team All-American honors in 2015. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft and has since become one of the league’s most recognizable wideouts, winning Super Bowl LVII with the Chiefs and earning a Pro Bowl selection in 2018.
Smith-Schuster holds several NFL records, including being the youngest player to reach 2,500 career receiving yards and the first player ever to record two offensive touchdowns of at least 97 yards. He also owns multiple Pittsburgh Steelers franchise records. Beyond the field, he is widely known for his social media presence and his popularity on TikTok, a platform that has earned him the nickname “TikTok Boy.” In 2019, Sports Business Daily ranked him among the NFL’s most marketable players.
Early Life and Background
Smith-Schuster was born in Long Beach, California, and raised in a large family as the second-eldest of seven children. Of African-American and Samoan descent, he began playing football at the age of eight and quickly developed a passion for the sport. His aunt gave him the nickname “JuJu” when he was a few months old, initially calling him “John-John” before settling on the shorter name. In his youth, he played in the Snoop Youth Football League, where he was coached by rapper Snoop Dogg, who gave him the additional nickname “Sportscenter” after predicting that his highlights would one day be shown on ESPN’s flagship program.
He later attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School, which at the time held the record for sending the most football players to NFL careers of any school in the United States. Playing wide receiver and safety for the Jackrabbits, Smith-Schuster was rated a five-star recruit by Rivals.com and ranked as the second-best wide receiver and 24th-best overall player in his class. Although he initially committed to the University of Oregon, he announced on live television that he would instead attend the University of Southern California (USC) to play under head coach Steve Sarkisian.
Path to Professional Football
Smith-Schuster earned immediate playing time at USC as a true freshman in 2014, recording four receptions for 123 yards in his first game against Fresno State. He finished that season with 54 receptions for 724 yards and five touchdowns, demonstrating a rare combination of size and skill for a young receiver. As a sophomore in 2015, he became a focal point of the Trojans’ offense, leading the team with 89 receptions for 1,454 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns while earning second-team All-American honors.
During his junior season in 2016, Smith-Schuster played in 13 games and totaled 914 receiving yards with 10 touchdowns, helping the Trojans to a Rose Bowl victory over Penn State with seven catches for 133 yards and a receiving touchdown. After the season, he announced on Twitter that he would forgo his senior year and enter the 2017 NFL draft, later signing with sports agency Roc Nation. Although he left USC before graduating, he later returned to take summer courses in order to complete his university degree.
JuJu Smith-Schuster Career
Early Career (2017)
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Smith-Schuster in the second round (62nd overall) of the 2017 NFL draft, making him the youngest player taken in that draft and the 13th USC wide receiver drafted in 15 years. He signed a four-year, $4.19 million contract with $1.84 million guaranteed. Beginning the season as the sixth wide receiver on the depth chart, he quickly earned a larger role and made his NFL debut in the season-opening victory over the Cleveland Browns.
Smith-Schuster recorded his first career reception and touchdown in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings, becoming the youngest NFL player to score a touchdown since 1964. He went on to set several rookie milestones, including becoming the first player in NFL history to score three touchdowns before the age of 21 and posting a 97-yard touchdown reception against the Detroit Lions that stood as the longest pass play in Steelers history. He finished his rookie year with 58 receptions for 917 yards and seven touchdowns, earning PFWA All-Rookie Team honors and the Polynesian Pro Football Player of the Year award.
Pittsburgh Steelers Breakthrough (2018-2020)
Smith-Schuster emerged as one of the league’s top receivers in 2018, his second NFL season, posting a career-high 13 receptions for 121 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs and breaking another NFL record by becoming the first player with two offensive touchdowns of at least 97 yards. Voted team MVP by his teammates, he finished the season with 111 receptions for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns, ranking fifth in the NFL in receiving yards and earning his first Pro Bowl selection as an alternate.
After the Steelers traded Antonio Brown in 2019, Smith-Schuster became the team’s number one receiver, passing Randy Moss as the youngest wide receiver to reach 2,500 receiving yards. A helmet-to-helmet hit and subsequent knee injury limited him to just 11 games that year. He rebounded in 2020 with 97 receptions for 831 yards and a career-high nine touchdowns, highlighted by the game-winning 25-yard touchdown catch against the Indianapolis Colts.
Kansas City Chiefs Era (2022-Present)
Smith-Schuster signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on March 20, 2022, on a one-year contract worth up to $10.75 million. In his first season in Kansas City, he finished with 78 receptions for 933 receiving yards and three touchdowns, and he played a key role in the Chiefs’ 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. A holding call on Eagles cornerback James Bradberry in the final minutes helped set up the game-winning field goal.
After a brief 2023 stint with the New England Patriots, where injuries limited him to 29 catches for 260 yards, Smith-Schuster returned to the Chiefs in August 2024. He finished the 2024 regular season with 18 receptions for 231 yards and two touchdowns, then re-signed with Kansas City on a one-year contract in March 2025. He appeared in Super Bowl LIX against the Eagles, recording two receptions for 16 yards in the 40-22 loss.
Notable Events and Milestones
Smith-Schuster’s career has been defined by record-breaking performances, including his status as the youngest player to reach 2,500 career receiving yards and the first player to record two offensive touchdowns of at least 97 yards. He also holds multiple Steelers franchise records, including the longest pass play in team history, set during his 193-yard performance against the Lions in 2017. His Super Bowl LVII appearance and game-clinching third-down catch through a defensive holding penalty remain signature moments of his career.
JuJu Smith-Schuster Career Wins
Smith-Schuster’s most significant team win came in Super Bowl LVII, where the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in February 2023. He has also been a key contributor to multiple Pittsburgh Steelers playoff appearances, including the 2017 Divisional Round loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and the 2020 Wild Card Round victory over the Cleveland Browns.
Super Bowl Highlights
In Super Bowl LVII, Smith-Schuster caught seven passes for 53 yards and played a pivotal role in the final minutes when a defensive holding call on a third-down reception allowed the Chiefs to run down the clock before kicking the game-winning field goal. In Super Bowl LIX, he added two receptions for 16 yards in the Chiefs’ 40-22 loss to the Eagles.
JuJu Smith-Schuster Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Smith-Schuster is of African-American and Samoan descent and was raised in Long Beach, California. He is the second-eldest of seven children and a Christian. His cousin, Johnny Nansen, formerly served as an assistant coach at USC. He has one biological sister named So’omalo, and their father was not active in their lives.
His stepfather, Lawrence Schuster, was introduced to his mother, Sammy (Toa), when Smith-Schuster was four years old. After turning 18, Smith-Schuster legally hyphenated his last name, adding Schuster in honor of his stepfather. Growing up, he was a fan of USC and looked up to wide receivers Marqise Lee, Robert Woods, and Nelson Agholor. His family has been a central part of his personal narrative, often featured on his social media channels and YouTube videos.
2025 Season Performance
Smith-Schuster re-signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on a one-year contract on March 15, 2025, returning for his second consecutive season in Kansas City. Early in the year, he became a viral talking point after a Week 6 win over the Detroit Lions when Lions safety Brian Branch punched him in the face during a postgame handshake attempt, sparking a brief brawl between the two teams. The incident underscored Smith-Schuster’s continued role as a competitor and emotional leader within the Chiefs’ locker room.
As the 2025 season progresses, Smith-Schuster is positioned as a complementary veteran receiver in a Chiefs offense that features quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce. His experience in the slot and his proven chemistry with Mahomes from the 2022 Super Bowl run make him a reliable target in key third-down situations. With Kansas City continuing to chase additional championships, Smith-Schuster’s veteran presence and postseason experience remain valuable assets.