Former Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster holds event to say goodbye to Pittsburgh fans

It was June 2020, and the Stamm family had been here less than 24 hours after moving from Nebraska back to Pittsburgh, where Jim Stamm had grown up and wanted to raise his son.

His wife, Chris, got a message on her phone that former Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was delivering pizzas that day for Pizza Hut.

The family didn’t think they’d be among the lucky ones that day, but two hours later, Smith-Schuster knocked on the door of the Mexican War Streets Airbnb where they were staying.

He posed for pictures with their son Ben, now 6, and chatted about their move.

On Sunday, the Stamms were among hundreds of people who showed up at the Terminal in the Strip District to say goodbye to Smith-Schuster at a charity autograph session he held. They had him sign the picture of him with their son from 2020 and then took pictures with him.

“He’s so authentic,” Jim Stamm said Sunday afternoon. “I think he’s a very hard worker.”

Smith-Schuster, who signed with Kansas City this offseason, said he still wanted to hold the event — which had been scheduled long before he signed a contract with the Chiefs — to thank his fans in Pittsburgh.

“It was kind of like moving too fast,” he said while taking a break from signing and smiling for pictures. “I really didn’t have a goodbye to all my fans and all my supporters.”

Former Pittsburgh Steeler Juju Smith-Schuster is using today’s event to thank his fans and say goodbye to Pittsburgh as his career has taken him to Kansas City. pic.twitter.com/WMdlErNLO6

— Paula Reed Ward (@PaulaReedWard) June 12, 2022

His organization had 3,000 items of merch left in inventory — shirts, hats and hoodies — and for a $20 donation, fans could get an item, autographs and pictures.

And all of the money goes to Pittsburgh charities, including Paws Across Pittsburgh; The Miracle League; Magee-Womens Resarch Institute and Vintage.

“It’s all about giving back to people who supported (me) since Day One,” Smith-Schuster said. “It was tough for me to leave the city where I started my career off.”

The event, scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., saw lines a block-and-a-half long before the doors even opened, and it continued to stretch that far as the afternoon wore on.

Smith-Schuster canceled the flight he had later Sunday so he could greet every person in line, his staff said.

His mother, Sammy Schuster, said she fell in love with Pittsburgh as much as her son did after he was drafted to the Steelers at age 19.

“When I saw how Pittsburgh embraced him and loved him, he had this huge family now,” she said.

Ariel Holstein, 21, of Oakland, and his girlfriend, Lauren Burke, 20, of Squirrel Hill, spent two hours in line waiting Sunday afternoon. But during the wait, they got pizza and shirts from Smith-Schuster and the people running the event.

“Worth every second,” Holstein said.

The University of Pittsburgh students were thrilled to see Smith-Schuster.

“He’s done so much for the city,” Holstein said. “He’s a great guy.”

They stopped to say hello to Smith-Schuster’s well-known French bulldog, Boujee, and take a picture with him, too.

“I think JuJu’s great on the field and much greater off of it,” Holstein said.

“He deserved the proper goodbye,” Burke added. “It’s bittersweet. He’s going to do better things, but the city will miss him a lot.”

People lining up outside the Strip Terminal in Pittsburgh to say goodbye to @TeamJuJu. It’s a pretty massive line. pic.twitter.com/D2XKDTnpQE

— Ben Schmitt (@bencschmitt) June 12, 2022

Christyada Gordon, who attends Seton Hill University, stood in line for three hours to meet Smith-Schuster.

“I’m obsessed with the city, and he, literally, is obsessed with the city,” she said.

Gordon said she appreciates it when professional athletes who represent Pittsburgh love it as much as she does.

Darnell Crockett, 12, had been waiting for Smith-Schuster’s autograph event for months.

Crockett, who lives in Virginia but is spending the summer in Pittsburgh, said Smith-Schuster is unique among NFL players. He appreciates that Smith-Schuster takes time with his fans, greeting them and posing for pictures no matter what.

Smith-Schuster said he has been adjusting to life in Kansas City well. There’s a great team atmosphere, and the environment in his community is awesome, he said.

“We wanted to let Pittsburgh fans know — thank you so much for everything they’ve done for my son,” said Sammy Schuster. “It’s been an amazing journey.

“This isn’t goodbye. It’s see you later.”