He didn't do a dance or break out one of his many touchdown celebrations, but JuJu Smith-Schuster was happy on Thursday. He was named the Steelers' top rookie, winning the Joe Greene Great Performance Award in a vote of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America.
All-Pro guard David DeCastro also was voted the winner of The Chief Award, which is given to the member of the Steelers who is most cooperative with the media.
Winning the Joe Greene award caps off a strong rookie season for Smith-Schuster, who just turned 21 in November, as the second-round draft pick edged outside linebacker T.J. Watt, the team's first-round selection.
Both made major impacts for the Steelers (12-3) this season, but it was Smith-Schuster, who has blossomed as both a blocker and receiver, who took home the hardware.
"I saw myself coming in with an opportunity to play, but I didn't see myself having the year I'm having now," Smith-Schuster said.
Despite playing in 13 games -- missing one game because of injury and another because of suspension for an aggressive block on Cincinnati's Vontaze Burfict -- Smith-Schuster enters the Steelers' regular season finale with 49 receptions for 774 yards and six touchdowns. His receiving touchdown total is tied for the most by a rookie in the NFL this season, while he ranks second among rookies in receiving yards.
The youngest player in the NFL this season, Smith-Schuster brought some lighthearted fun to the Steelers' locker room this season, from riding a bicycle to practice early in the season because he didn't have a driver's license, to his touchdown celebrations that slowly but surely began to involve all of his teammates.
"That kid's awesome, he's just fun to be around," said DeCastro. "I never thought I'd be doing touchdown celebrations. I'm like, 'All right, let's do it.' Maybe it's getting older and just having fun, but it's a breath of fresh air for a guy like that coming in. He's just young and full of energy. He just enjoys it and loves it. You kind of saw it from the start. It's pretty impressive. He'll be here for a while, hopefully.
"This whole season has been pretty fun. It's had its ups and downs and drama, obviously, but what season doesn't? It's nice to have a personality like that to change it up a little bit."
Smith-Schuster also said he has matured in his rookie season. But there have been some tough things about adjusting to being a professional player, as well.
"I would say sleep," Smith-Schuster said of his biggest challenge. "Being young, you're just up all night having fun. Sleep has been the most challenging to me. I like to be up, playing video games, doing what young people do, social media, and then go to bed at 2 a.m. I'm still trying to balance that out."
He's also become one of the city's most recognizable players thanks to his personality and the high-profile theft of his bicycle earlier this year before he got his driver's license with the help of teammate Alejandro Villanueva.
"Me being from (Los Angeles), this is a lot smaller, obviously," Smith-Schuster said. "Wherever I go, people recognize me. When I got my license and I was driving around in a Mini Cooper, people were like 'Yo, what's up JuJu? Congrats on your license.' I was like, 'This is crazy.' I embrace it. I love it."