Steelers Now
Pittsburgh tight end Jonnu Smith has been selected as the Week 7 NFLPA Community MVP after he and several teammates visited the State Correctional Institution at Fayette to share messages of hope and encouragement with inmates. Smith’s older brother, Wayne, is an inmate at SCI-Fayette.
“It is truly a blessing and an honor to be named this week’s NFLPA Community MVP. As a man of faith, I understand the position of my platform far exceeds any touchdown I can score. The real stats are off the field,” Smith said in a statement. “The joy that I have for receiving an award for doing something pure and not expecting anything in return makes it all the more special.”
Smith runs the Nu Family Foundation, which works to empower young people through education, media, and sports, while also addressing food and housing insecurity. The NFLPA donated $10,000 to the foundation, which was matched by the Richard King Mellon Foundation.
You can join Jonnu in supporting the community by donating to his nonprofit: The Nu Family Foundation. Pittsburgh's own Richard King Mellon Foundation is matching the NFLPA's $10,000 grant, for a total of $20,000. 🙌@gofundme
🔗 https://t.co/nSv5YtQ5qw pic.twitter.com/aaa1QSsTLB
— NFLPA (@NFLPA) October 17, 2025
Jonnu Smith reached out to SC1-Fayette to speak with the inmates.
“In 26 years of service in the Department of Corrections, I’ve never had a player himself reach out,” SCI-Fayette Superintendent Tina Walker told Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “… When high-profile athletes like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jonnu Smith request to come to the prison and speak with inmates, it shows a commitment from them for community engagement and rehabilitation.
“It sends a message to our inmate population about second chances and personal growth and accountability and choices that you make maybe don’t always define your future.”
Wayne Smith was convicted of third-degree murder for the fatal shooting of David Dial during a street fight in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia on June 5, 2010.
Wayne Smith was originally sentenced to 25 to 50 years. In 2024, his sentence was reduced to 16 to 32 years, making him set to be released in July of 2026.
Due to the Conviction Integrity Unit introduced by Philadelphia district attorney Larry Krasner, Wayne was granted the right to a new trial because of previously undisclosed evidence, according to ESPN. Instead of relitigating the case, Wayne accepted a new sentence of 16 to 32 years.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers TE Jonnu Smith Receives League Award
