during Georgia assistant coach Glenn Schumann has now experienced what it is like for one of his guys to be the first and the last inside linebackers selected in the NFL Draft.

It all came full circle for him when redshirt senior ILB Tae Crowder heard his name called as the last pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Crowder had been a redshirt at Georgia. His scholarship offer from the previous staff came on signing day. The Harris County native was bound for Georgia Southern before that moment.

Then there were all the position changes during his time at Georgia. Running back. Wide receiver. Inside linebacker. Scout team.

There was a tragedy in his personal life as he lost one of his dear friends in the midst of wondering if he was ever going to play at Georgia. All told, Crowder navigated this timeline during his time at Georgia.

  • 2015: He was a 3-star redshirt
  • 2016: Scored two TDs as a G-Day tailback. Moved to ILB from RB in the middle of the season. Played in one game.
  • 2017: Played in all 15 games. Zero starts. Seven tackles. Famous for recovering the squib kick late in the first half of the Rose Bowl against Oklahoma. It led to Rodrigo Blankenship’s momentum-swinging 55-yard field goal to end the half.
  • 2018: Played in 14 games. 5 starts. Finished fifth on the team with his 53 total tackles.
  • 2019: Started all 14 games. Finished second on the team with his 62 total tackles. Had nine tackles against Notre Dame. Posted another 12 tackles against South Carolina. Remember that scoop-and-score against Tennessee?
  • 2020: Snubbed by the combine. Kept working during the global pandemic. Selected with the 255th and final pick of the NFL Draft

The Bulldog co-defensive coordinator helped carry Crowder off the field at the Sugar Bowl after his last game in the Georgia uniform.

He likely had all of that on his mind when he heard the New York Giants pick Crowder. The fourth media file in the embedded Instagram post below shares his reaction to the draft moment for Crowder.

It is as real as it gets there.

The message Schumann shared on that post says it all: “Man, no lie this brought tears to my eyes to see you get drafted. You earned it. Thank you for believing in me, believing in us and never giving up. Couldn’t be prouder of you. You don’t have to be blood to be family and you are family to [Lauren Schumann] and me. Always will be!”

The Georgia native was actually born in Valdosta. He’s seen one of his guys go in the top 10 as a Butkus Award winner (Roquan Smith) in the draft and as the last pick of the draft. Crowder and Smith had two entirely different roads, but the path through the Georgia football program led both to the NFL Draft.

Schumann just turned 30. The next season will be his fifth at Georgia as the inside linebackers coach. He was one of Kirby Smart’s first hires.

The new father is now embracing TikTok videos of all things. It will only enhance his reputation as a strong presence on the recruiting trail.

His star in the coaching profession is very bright, but he will likely never forget the moment Crowder gave DawgNation with the final pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.

It certainly will not be seen as an “irrelevant” moment in his coaching career up to this point.