JuJu Smith-Schuster had an outstanding practice Sunday, in only his second day back after a brief absence last week to deal with personal issues. The sophomore receiver then addressed the media for the first time in several days.
While he declined to get into specifics regarding his time away, he went in depth on his performance vs. Arizona State and this season in general. He also shared his thought process in diffusing a heated sequence of events during practice.
Can you share why you were gone for a couple days?
JSS: "I had some personal issues that I had to take care of. I took care of it, and I’m glad to be back."
Was there any doubt that you’d be back quickly?
JSS: "I’m just glad to be back."
You looked like you picked up where you left off. Did you feel any rust?
JSS: "It just feels good to be back out here with my boys. I bring it 110 percent every day. When I’m on the field, it’s like nothing can stop me."
Was it something you knew was coming or did it come out of the blue?
JSS: "I’m just glad to be back."
How do you feel about your performance thus far this season?
JSS: "I’m definitely not satisfied with where I’m at right now. Obviously, I do want to be the best receiver in college football right now. In order for me to do that, I want to keep working every day and I’m focusing on getting better every day."
Do you think you played well vs. Arizona State?
JSS: "OK. It wasn’t my best game. I just got to keep working."
What weren’t you happy with?
JSS: "There was one ball that was behind that hit my hands, We say if it hits your hands you got to catch it. It was behind me, I dropped it. Some other stuff, perimeter blocking, just little stuff like that. On the outside, people always look at, he caught this any balls for this many yards and this many touchdowns. Well, as a great receiver, he’s even at his best when he doesn’t get the ball. A great example is Darreus Rogers. Arkansas State, Stanford – he didn’t get a lot of touches. But he did play his ass off, and he played amazing. Blocking, almost all my touchdowns, he has a key block. And it’s not just him. It’s Steven and all the other guys too."
What did you think of a couple players mixing it up in practice?
JSS: "It’s so fun. I love it. I love it when our boys go at it. It’s because we’re just so competitive. The reason we play so great on Saturday nights is our service team. They give it a hundred percent. It just brings the best out of us, and it shows on game day."
You put up your dukes the following play. Did you think about doing that beforehand?
JSS: "I thought about it. How I think of it is, move on, next play. It’s just so funny if I just throw the ball down and be like, Hey, let’s fight. Didn’t we just do that last play? Let’s do it again! I just think it’s so funny."
While he declined to get into specifics regarding his time away, he went in depth on his performance vs. Arizona State and this season in general. He also shared his thought process in diffusing a heated sequence of events during practice.
Can you share why you were gone for a couple days?
JSS: "I had some personal issues that I had to take care of. I took care of it, and I’m glad to be back."
Was there any doubt that you’d be back quickly?
JSS: "I’m just glad to be back."
You looked like you picked up where you left off. Did you feel any rust?
JSS: "It just feels good to be back out here with my boys. I bring it 110 percent every day. When I’m on the field, it’s like nothing can stop me."
Was it something you knew was coming or did it come out of the blue?
JSS: "I’m just glad to be back."
How do you feel about your performance thus far this season?
JSS: "I’m definitely not satisfied with where I’m at right now. Obviously, I do want to be the best receiver in college football right now. In order for me to do that, I want to keep working every day and I’m focusing on getting better every day."
Do you think you played well vs. Arizona State?
JSS: "OK. It wasn’t my best game. I just got to keep working."
What weren’t you happy with?
JSS: "There was one ball that was behind that hit my hands, We say if it hits your hands you got to catch it. It was behind me, I dropped it. Some other stuff, perimeter blocking, just little stuff like that. On the outside, people always look at, he caught this any balls for this many yards and this many touchdowns. Well, as a great receiver, he’s even at his best when he doesn’t get the ball. A great example is Darreus Rogers. Arkansas State, Stanford – he didn’t get a lot of touches. But he did play his ass off, and he played amazing. Blocking, almost all my touchdowns, he has a key block. And it’s not just him. It’s Steven and all the other guys too."
What did you think of a couple players mixing it up in practice?
JSS: "It’s so fun. I love it. I love it when our boys go at it. It’s because we’re just so competitive. The reason we play so great on Saturday nights is our service team. They give it a hundred percent. It just brings the best out of us, and it shows on game day."
You put up your dukes the following play. Did you think about doing that beforehand?
JSS: "I thought about it. How I think of it is, move on, next play. It’s just so funny if I just throw the ball down and be like, Hey, let’s fight. Didn’t we just do that last play? Let’s do it again! I just think it’s so funny."
