JuJu Smith-Schuster, a 22 year-old from Long Beach, California is not only a huge asset to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but also to the city of Pittsburgh as a whole.

After completing his 2016 season at the University of Southern California as a Wide Receiver (as a junior in 2016, he played 13 games with 914 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns), Smith-Schuster decided to enter the draft rather than continuing into his senior year of school. The Steelers selected Smith-Schuster in the second round of the Draft and he was the youngest player in the 2017 Draft.

I think I can speak on behalf of the entire city of Pittsburgh and say that we were not only eager to have a new player, but also hopeful that he would bring fresh and new ideas to the team dynamic. It’s always nerve-wracking to get someone completely new who’s never played professionally before.

Furthermore, team chemistry is incredible important, so that is always something sports fans keep in the backs of their minds when their favorite team drafts a new player. JuJu Smith-Schuster has spoken about the team recently stating that “The chemistry is on point. We don’t really have, um, everyone is on the same page and everyone’s communicating. There’s really no, how you say? drama in our locker room.”

Luckily, JuJu Smith-Schuster has gone above and beyond in terms of satisfying these fan expectations. He not only serves as an insanely fast beast when he’s on the field, but also as a role-model for those who look up to him.

Not only is Smith-Schuster an incredible football player with the following stats for 2018:

• REC: 111 (Tied-6th)
• YDS: 1,4265th
• TD: 7 (Tied-16th)
• AVG: 12.8

But he also is active in the local Pittsburgh Community. Last December, Smith-Schuster and other team members donated $20,000 to Meals on Wheels. So many young children as well as people my age look up to JuJu.

He always sends positive messages and continues to be involved in charitable work. He said “I wanted to donate and focus on Meals On Wheels because of my grandmother,” whom he helped care for before her recent passing. “I want to do things in the community, and I thought why not do something for the older citizens in the Pittsburgh community.”

This past February, JuJu launched the JuJu Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the support of youth initiatives and lifting the spirits of those in need.

Just a few weeks ago on May 11th, he hosted an inaugural water balloon fight. He wanted this event to be a fun break for him and for others. At the event he had a live DJ, other activities like dodgeball and inflatables, free food, and giveaways that included tickets and money. He also met fans at the event and signed autographs for them.

This is just ONE of the many things Smith-Schuster has done for the Pittsburgh community. Three days ago, on June 1st, JuJu Smith-Schuster attended prom at Chartiers Valley High School.

He has been very active this week as you can see. Just two days ago on June 2nd, Smith-Schuster decided to make a visit to Kennywood Amusement Park, which is known by everyone who lives in Pittsburgh as the best place to get french fries.

Unfortunately, Kennywood made the decision to stop carrying Heinz Ketchup (which is based in Pittsburgh). Smith-Schuster took it into his own hands to make sure patrons of the amusement park had the right condiment for their “Potato Patch” fries.

Back in April, a fan going through a tough time posted on instagram about feeling depressed and stuck, looking for guidance. JuJu Smith-Schuster took it into his own hands to leave an encouraging and uplifting comment on this post. He is a down-to-earth man that doesn’t NEED to do all of these things for his community, but instead wants to.

Showing people the impact you can have by being there for someone will hopefully lead younger generations to follow in his footsteps and give love to others and be passionate.

It is clear that JuJu Smith-Schuster is still a kid at heart, but you can argue that he is extremely mature for his age. He is doing so much for his local community and for different organizations and charities.

As a pro-football player, he already has the respect of much of the Pittsburgh community, but he takes it a step further with his commitment to doing more than that. He spends so much time training, practicing, and playing the game, yet he still finds time to give back, in whatever way he can.

JuJu has given so much to the Pittsburgh community and has served as a role model through his continued love and support of those he crosses paths with. Pittsburgh expects to see a lot from him this coming football season, not only on the field, but also off.