Pittsburgh Steelers

Smith-Schuster named Steelers' 2018 team MVP

By Ryan Emerson

JuJu Smith-Schuster waves to the crowd as he walks off the field at the conclusion of the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-24 win over the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field on December 31, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)

By Ryan Emerson

PITTSBURGH — Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was named the team’s most valuable player for 2018.

The Steelers made the announcement Thursday. It's the first time Smith-Schuster has earned the title, in just his second season in the National Football League.

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Here's a look at his stats as of Dec. 27:

  • Leads all AFC players, and tied for fifth among all NFL players, with 106 receptions
  • Fourth in the NFL with 1,389 receiving yards
  • His 1,389 receiving yards in 2018 are the seventh-most by a Steeler in a single season in team history
  • His eight 100-yard receiving games, third-most by any NFL player through Week 16, ties Antonio Brown as the second-most by a Steeler in a single season in team history

Smith-Schuster registered the 150th reception of his NFL career in his 28th career game this season, setting a franchise record for fewest games to the milestone, and he reached the 1,500-receiving yard marker in his 21st career game, also a new team record.

With 106 catches in 2018, at the age of 22 years and 31 days old, Smith-Schuster passed Larry Fitzgerald (22 years, 123 days) as the youngest player to reach 100 receptions in a single season in NFL history.

The following is the list of Steelers MVPs since 1969:
1969 - WR Roy Jefferson
1970 - DT Joe Greene
1971 - LB Andy Russell
1972 - RB Franco Harris
1973 - WR Ron Shanklin
1974 - S Glen Edwards
1975 - CB Mel Blount
1976 - LB Jack Lambert
1977 - QB Terry Bradshaw
1978 - QB Terry Bradshaw
1979 - WR John Stallworth
1980 - SS Donnie Shell
1981 - LB Jack Lambert
1982 - CB Dwayne Woodruff
1983 - PK Gary Anderson
1984 - WR John Stallworth
1985 - WR Louis Lipps
1986 - LB Bryan Hinkle
1987 - LB Mike Merriweather
1988 - LB David Little & CB Rod Woodson
1989 - WR Louis Lipps
1990 - CB Rod Woodson
1991 - LB Greg Lloyd
1992 - RB Barry Foster
1993 - CB Rod Woodson
1994 - LB Greg Lloyd
1995 - QB Neil O'Donnell
1996 - RB Jerome Bettis
1997 - RB Jerome Bettis
1998 - LB Levon Kirkland
1999 - LB Levon Kirkland
2000 - RB Jerome Bettis
2001 - QB Kordell Stewart
2002 - WR Hines Ward & LB Joey Porter
2003 - WR Hines Ward
2004 - LB James Farrior
2005 - NT Casey Hampton & WR Hines Ward
2006 - RB Willie Parker
2007 - LB James Harrison
2008 - LB James Harrison
2009 - QB Ben Roethlisberger
2010 - SS Troy Polamalu
2011 - WR Antonio Brown
2012 - TE Heath Miller
2013 - WR Antonio Brown
2014 - RB Le'Veon Bell
2015 - WR Antonio Brown
2016 - RB Le'Veon Bell
2017 - WR Antonio Brown
2018 - WR JuJu Smith-Schuster

 

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