JuJu Smith-Schuster came back to Pittsburgh this weekend ready to sign some autographs, pose for some photos and meet some fans. But it didn't take long Sunday morning for a curveball to be thrown his way. One of the first people in line, 12-year-old Kennedi McVittie, asked Smith-Schuster if he could film a TikTok with her on the spot.
"Make it a quick one," her mom told her, given that there was a throng of others waiting to say hi to the former Steelers star receiver who's now with the Kansas City Chiefs. On cue, Smith-Schuster did his best to dance for the camera, but he apologized for being a little rusty. Then he posed for a photo with a fan-made sign that read, We will miss you JuJu always stay litty.
More than 100 Steelers fans formed a line before 9 a.m. outside The Strip District Terminal, but on this Sunday, they were just Smith-Schuster fans. The 2018 team MVP who left in free agency wanted to return to the city that embraced him as a 2017 draft pick, so he held a "final farewell" at $20 per person with all proceeds benefiting several local charities via the JuJu Foundation.
"Everything was just going too fast, you know?" Smith-Schuster said of his exit to Kansas City. "Move by move — as soon as I signed [with the Chiefs] I had to move out, went to KC, moved in, but at the same time I never really had a going-away — I would say story, I guess? I thought this was the time to do it. I have so many Steelers fans I did not expect to see today."
The entrance fee included a merchandise item, an autograph and a photo with Smith-Schuster, but to his credit, he gave more than that. He was making small talk, encouraging young football players to keep working hard and, yes, popping up in TikTok videos for a legion of followers who connected with the 6-foot-2 receiver through his bustling social media presence.
You could call Smith-Schuster a self-promoter — plenty did while he was building his brand in addition to catching passes for the Steelers — but Sunday showed there's a genuine side to that. And you could call him an average wideout — the Steelers chose to not re-sign him this offseason, instead letting him join an AFC foe for just $3.25 million — but he brought a toughness to the slot receiver position and provided a slew of memorable moments over his five seasons here.
Around 9:30 a.m., veteran Steelers defensive lineman Tyson Alualu stopped by the event to say hello — and goodbye — to Smith-Schuster and his mom, Sammy Toa-Schuster. Alualu swung through with his son, Tyree, on their way to a football camp at Penn State because Smith-Schuster "meant a lot" to the team and the city.
"He was what the epitome of a Steeler is when he put on that uniform," Alualu said. "He's definitely going to be missed, but I think with all the people here, the long line outside, it shows how much people love and care for him, even though he's not a Steeler. But you know how that saying goes: Once a Steeler, always a Steeler. This goes to show that."
Indeed, members of Smith-Schuster's marketing team said there were 100-plus fans in line by 6:30 a.m. McVittie and her mother, Missy, woke up at 5:15 to make the drive from Poland, Ohio, and even brought with them a No. 9 Chiefs jersey for Smith-Schuster to sign (though Missy McVittie insisted to him she will never wear it over a Steelers jersey).
Some of Smith-Schuster's biggest supporters even wanted photos with his mom, and one asked him about his Instagram-famous dog, Boujee. Barb Weiss of Uniontown did have a message for Smith-Schuster: Don't get rid of all your Pittsburgh gear, because you're going to come back someday and then you'll need it again. After all, Smith-Schuster only signed a one-year deal to try to rejuvenate his career with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
"Exactly," said Smith-Schuster, who came into the league as a 20-year-old rookie and is still just 25. "I could see myself back here. Even today, this shows a lot, that I still have fans out here coming out to support me."
Smith-Schuster racked up 169 catches, 2,343 yards and 14 touchdowns over his first two seasons, including a Pro Bowl campaign with 1,426 yards in Year 2, when it appeared he was on his way to becoming the next great Steelers pass-catcher. Then Ben Roethlisberger got hurt in 2019 and Smith-Schuster dealt with injuries of his own as he tried to replace Antonio Brown as the team's No. 1 target.
He bounced back with 97 receptions, 831 yards and a career-high nine scores in 2020, only to see his 2021 regular season end with a shoulder injury in Week 5. Now the Steelers will try to move on with an inexperienced receiving corps, and one of the most pressing questions around the organization is whether they'll give Diontae Johnson the type of long-term contract Smith-Schuster never received.
"I hope so, man," Smith-Schuster said Sunday. "I hope one receiver gets paid out of the Steelers. I think the past five years they've drafted a receiver almost every year, but I hope someone gets paid. I hope it's Diontae."
He also believes one of the players he helped mentor, Chase Claypool, is going to have a "great year." Claypool is "still growing, still learning," Smith-Schuster acknowledged, but "I'm pretty sure he's going to ball out."
Smith-Schuster, who recovered from his injury in time to catch five passes for 26 yards in the wild-card playoff loss at Kansas City, added that he'll continue to watch the Steelers from afar. The Chiefs aren't on their schedule this year, but he said he'll always love the city, the team and his die-hard fans, despite parting ways — for now, at least.
"It sucked, man," Smith-Schuster lamented of how his time with the Steelers fizzled. "It was COVID, I hurt my shoulder, wasn't really out there performing. But at the same time, I was just blessed to be a part of this dynasty. And you never know. That's why I came back to do this. Because at the end of the day, you never know."
