The Pittsburgh Steelers will come together as a 90 man squad beginning this Tuesday. For the first time, most of the veterans will be meeting the rookie class for the first time. The key word there is most.
JuJu Smith-Schuster got a head start on that, hanging out with several of the Steelers’ rookies. At is the NFL Rookie Premiere, Smith-Schuster was on-scene with Mason Rudolph, James Washington, and Jaylen Samuels.
Smith-Schuster did a brief Instagram video, mostly talking to Rudolph and envying the chemistry he has with second-round pick Washington.
“I’m about to be apart of that chemistry. Just give me some time,” Smith-Schuster joked.
The rookie premiere, in part, helps teach rookies about what to expect in the league on and off the field. How to handle themselves professionally in all aspects, including financially, since most players are making money they could only once dream about.
A description of the four-day event, according to the NFLPA website.
“An important annual date on the football calendar, NFLPA Rookie Premiere is the first major business and marketing event following the NFL Draft, where players gain insights and make connections that will assist in the development of their personal brands and careers on and off the field. Participating players will also go through a brief orientation which will highlight the union’s programs and services.”
Washington, Rudolph, and Samuels were the only three Steelers to attend. A total of 40 rookies were there.
Smith-Schuster was one of three Steelers to attend in 2017 (James Conner and Josh Dobbs were the others). After a sensational rookie season, JuJu has become nearly as big of a star off the field as he is on it, building his brand quicker than maybe any other rookie in history, and that’s without having the benefit of a 1st round label or franchise quarterback.
Already over 650,000 followers on Twitter and nearly another 500,000 on Youtube, Smith-Schuster is a marketing agency’s dream. And with that kind of following for his Youtube channel, there’s no question he’s making good money off that alone. We’ve seen other Youtubers, granted ones with significantly more followers, become multi-millionaires.
Tyler Blevins, who goes by Ninja on Youtube and has played with JuJu before, said he makes $500,000 per month. That comes out to $6 million a year, almost $2 million more than what Smith-Schuster is making on his entire rookie contract. And YouTube is a non-contact sport.
