ATHENS — Glenn Schumann showed up to work last Thursday at 7 a.m., days before his defense put forth a dominant showing against the previously No. 1 Texas Longhorns.
But it was not a normal work week for Schumann, as he and his wife Lauren welcomed their third child, Warner, on Wednesday.
Players were aware of Schumann’s situation and were surprised to see him grinding away early Thursday morning.
“I mean, he came in the next day and was coaching us like nothing happened. So it was pretty funny,” cornerback Daylen Everette said. “That was big for him.”
Schumann’s boss, Kirby Smart, also offered up a humorous response.
“I think the first thing as a coach, you don’t plan to have a baby in season,” Smart said with a smile. “So that’s the first mistake you make is that. You gotta get your priorities in order when you do that.”
Georgia has experience with other staffers having children during the season. Outside linebackers coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe and his wife had twins just three days before Georgia’s game against Ohio State in 2022.
Smart added that Georgia special teams coordinator Kirk Benedict and his wife had a baby after the Texas game as well.
“He planned his a little better for the bye week,” Smart said.
Schumann earned considerable praise for how the defense played against Texas, which had just 38 yards of offense in the first half and was held to a season-low 15 points.
The Bulldogs had a season-best 7.0 sacks and forced four turnovers.
“He said he was going to have a plan for it, and he executed the plan to a T. So he didn’t miss a beat,” Smart said. “He got things set up where everything can go down Wednesday after practice, which we go home then. He was back in work Thursday morning at 7 o’clock with a smile on his face and a baby born, and he did everything he needed to do to not really miss a beat.”
Though Dan Jackson and Joenel Aguero both were ejected for targeting, there was no drop-off when KJ Bolden and JaCorey Thomas entered the game.
The inside linebacker room was once again without leader Smael Mondon, who has now missed the last three games. Yet Schumann has been able to get freshman Chris Cole in a position to play, as well as seeing Jalon Walker rack up multiple Player of the Week honors.
“Chris has put himself in a position because he has really elite speed and flexibility to be able to cover and he’s got great length,” Smart said. “And I think Schumann did a great job identifying those two guys (Cole and Justin Williams) as high character, high intangible players. And Chris has helped us, he’s gotten smarter and smarter. And the Smael situation has afforded him that opportunity.”
Of course, Smart made sure to recognize that Schumann’s wife, Lauren, was the real star of the week.
“Lauren’s an incredible coach’s wife. She does a tremendous job supporting him and his players,” Smart said. “And she’s a wonderful mother and a great wife. She was at Alabama with Glenn and I and worked there in the football office. And she does wonderful things for the players and does so much. And she’s done a great job with her kids.”
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