Steelers' Smith-Schuster: Why go basic with names when you have 'JuJu' and 'Duck'
If there’s a man in the Pittsburgh Steelers locker room who knows the value in a nickname, it’s JuJu Smith-Schuster.
And Smith-Schuster speaks from experience when he said part of the appeal for Pittsburghers about Devlin Hodges is his nickname.
“I think when you have a name like ‘Duck,’ it’s very noticeable and it’s out there. It’s very catchy,” said Smith-Schuster, who was born John Smith.
“A guy coming in, making plays and helping out this team to win, that’s what it’s all about. You hear, ‘JuJu.’ You hear, ‘Duck.’ it’s just awesome.
“I wouldn’t like ‘John’ and ‘Devlin.’ Such basic names.”
Smith-Schuster and Hodges attended a corporate event together during the Steelers’ players off day Tuesday. Smith-Schuster shared a video to Instagram of the two in a car Tuesday, listening to music.
“His energy, his confidence in the huddle,” Smith-Schuster said of Hodges. “He’s just a guy that is a dude who has a lot of fun.”
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Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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