Jonnu Smith echoes lofty praise for Steelers OC
by Bo Marchionte
@bomarchionte | College2Pro.com
Published July 27, 2025, 12:29 PM
LATROBE, Pa. – Sometimes in football, the deepest connections aren’t forged in the locker room or during practice, but in the invisible spaces between in the moments of belief, trust, and understanding. That’s exactly the kind of bond Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith shares with the team’s offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith.
For Jonnu, this isn’t just another reunion with a former coach. It’s something closer to family.
“All the time, man,” Smith said, with a smile that felt more like reverence. “Art’s like my football big brother, father figure, uncle. However, you want to characterize it. He’s been that guy for me throughout my career. I can’t think of anybody at this level who’s been as instrumental as he’s been.”
It’s a rare kind of relationship in the high-stakes, often transactional world of professional football. Jonnu Smith and Arthur Smith go way back, back to Tennessee, where Jonnu entered the NFL as a rookie tight end and Arthur was then serving as the Titans’ tight ends coach. The trust started early and never wavered.
“My rookie year, I was drafted to Tennessee. Art was a tight ends coach,” Jonnu said. “We’ve been on that journey ever since. He started off coaching me personally in the tight end room, and then eventually became the offensive coordinator. He always believed in me, and that belief never changed.”
That belief runs both ways.
“Man, yeah, you know me,” Jonnu said. “That relationship extends beyond those white lines. Knowing it’s a guy who has a lot of belief in me and I have a lot of belief in him we just try to be in harmony with one another.”
That word harmony feels intentional. It’s not just about drawing up plays or executing routes. It’s about two people who understand each other on a level that transcends the sport. Their bond is emotional. Philosophical. Personal.
“I just think we speak the same language,” Jonnu added. “We got a lot of similarities. We’re both competitors, both winners. It’s hard not to connect with someone who possesses those same values.”
This summer, under the sweltering sun of training camp in Latrobe, their connection is visible again with subtle nods during drills, a shared look before a play install, an ease in communication that can’t be faked.
Arthur Smith is looking to regain its identity on offense, having a trusted piece like Jonnu matters. He knows how to get the best out of his tight end, and Jonnu knows exactly how to respond.
Of course, football is filled with transactional moments players come and go, coaches move on, systems change. But occasionally, a thread weaves through all of that. For Jonnu and Arthur, it’s a thread built on shared experiences, mutual respect, and a deep-rooted trust that’s hard to quantify.
Measuring that kind of bond with stats or analytics? Impossible.
Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com
