PHOENIX — While playing at Long Beach Poly High and USC, JuJu Smith-Schuster dreamed of one day playing in the Super Bowl.
Six years into his NFL career, Smith-Schuster will get his opportunity.
The Kansas City Chiefs receiver could be a key player Sunday when the Chiefs play the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
“I’m super excited to represent Long Beach Poly and USC — and just Los Angeles,” Smith-Schuster said. “I’ll be repping in the Super Bowl.”
Smith-Schuster, 26, played five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers before signing a one-year, incentive-laden $10.75-million contract with the Chiefs.
Juju Smith-Schuster makes a catch on the first day of spring practice at USC’s Howard Jones Field in 2016.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
The Chiefs subsequently traded speedy Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins, and signed receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, giving All-Pro quarterback Patrick Mahomes an almost entirely new receiving corps to go along with star tight end Travis Kelce.
Smith-Schuster caught 78 passes for 933 yards and three touchdowns.
“Great personality, so we like that addition that way,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Tuesday. “But he also complements Kelce.
“He has that ability to feel in space, openings, and Patrick trusts that. He’s sure-handed, he’s great after the catch, tough to bring down and he’s smart. He picked all this stuff up and he did it well. Got the confidence of the quarterback. That takes a lot.”
Mahomes indicated that Smith-Schuster’s value goes beyond his ability to run physical routes.
“The biggest thing is the joy he brings into the building every single day,” Mahomes said, “and the work ethic.”
Smith-Schuster began his NFL career with the Steelers, who selected him in the second round of the 2017 draft.
In his second season, Smith-Schuster caught 111 passes for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns, and was voted to the Pro Bowl.
In 2020, Smith-Schuster had 97 catches, nine for touchdowns. But last season, Smith-Schuster caught 15 passes in five games before he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.
So this season was a chance to show the Chiefs — and 31 other teams — that he could still produce.
“He’s one of those guys where you just want to be around him,” Valdes-Scantling said. “He’s always in a good mood. He brings a great energy to the team, and he’s a dawg on the football field.”
Kelce said Smith-Schuster made an impression during training camp. Though he was new to the team, he implored teammates to take a few extra reps.
“Like, ‘Hey man, I know we’re dog tired and coaches are giving us a break here, but why don’t we push through some of these extra reps,’ ” Kelce said about Smith-Schuster. “That kind of stuff goes a long way. It shows guys your dedication, your devotion and how hard you want this, and JuJu has shown nothing but that since he’s been here.”
The transition to a new team, Smith-Schuster said, was eased by the way he was welcomed by teammates. The time they have spent together on and off the field has forged a strong bond and an unselfish mindset.
“You have so many crazy players on the field and there’s one football and everyone wants to win,” he said. “I will get two catches in the Super Bowl and with a W, and I’ll be happy, so … just the chemistry that we all have together, we’re all in it for one reason.”
Smith-Schuster said he is reminded of the magnitude of Sunday’s game every time he studies his playbook and sees the Super Bowl LVII logo.
“I’ve been chasing a Super Bowl ring for the past six years,” he said. “I’m actually here, and it’s unbelievable.”
