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When he was young, Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver John Sherman “JuJu” Smith-Schuster was a standout in rapper Snoop Dogg's Snoop Youth Football League. From day one, the Long Beach, California native was special. That idea was cemented even further when Smith-Schuster got to high school.
Playing for the Long Beach Polytechnic High School Jackrabbits, Smith-Schuster showed early that he had what it took to become a star. By his sophomore year, JuJu had earned a starting spot on the varsity team where he excelled on both sides of the ball as a wide receiver and safety.
Smith-Schuster would help Long Beach Polytechnic reach new heights with his superb play and by his senior year, JuJu was one of the most coveted recruits in the entire nation. Rated as a five-star athlete by 247Sports, Smith-Schuster received offers from big time programs such as USC, Alabama, Oregon, Notre Dame, and Ohio State.
After initially committing to playing in Eugene for the University of Oregon, the talented athlete and California's No. 3 ranked recruit decided to stay in state and committed to the University of Southern California.
Since he excelled as a receiver and safety in high school, there was initially some debate on where Smith-Schuster would best fit at the next level. In his freshman year at USC, Smith-Schuster would play some safety for the Trojans, recording five total tackles. However, the talented freshman made most of his impact on offense, catching 54 balls for 724 yards and five touchdowns.
Juju's 724 receiving yards was second on the team behind junior Nelson Agholor, but with the upperclassman leaving for the NFL after the 2014 season, Smith-Schuster was expected to be the next great Trojan wideout.
And as a sophomore, the former five-star certainly did not disappoint. Smith-Schuster racked up 1,454 receiving yards, which ranked fourth in the country while also adding 10 touchdowns. The Trojan star would be named to the First-Team All-Pac-12 and a finalist for the Fred Biletnikoff award given annually to the NCAA's best receiver.
With at least one more season still on campus, expectations were sky high for Smith-Schuster as a junior. However, despite a breakout year for redshirt freshman Sam Darnold, Smith-Schuster's numbers took a slight dive in his third year.
The junior wideout caught 70 balls for 914 yards, but still managed 10 scores on the season. And despite a junior season that fell a bit short of expectations, Smith-Schuster had proven that he was one of the most talented and productive receivers in college football.
Going into the NFL Draft, most scouts felt like Smith-Schuster was a second to third-round talent and a future No. 2 option for a team. His quickness, good hands, and blocking ability set him apart from other prospects, but scouts still weren't sure of his star potential.
The Steelers picked Smith-Schuster in the late second round as most scouts expected and since then, the former Trojan has transformed into one of the brightest emerging stars in the NFL. After totaling 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns in only his second year as a Steeler, Smith-Schuster has become perhaps the most important offensive piece for the team after the departures of Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell.
Only time will tell us just how good Smith-Schuster truly is, his career has been blowing up and it isn't likely he will slow down anytime soon.
