Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Dawuane Smoot is being hailed as a hero after helping his wife, Aumari, deliver at home when she unexpectedly went into labor on Tuesday.
In an interview with Good Morning America, the 26-year-old said it was the "scariest moment" of his life. But Dawuane stayed composed and followed instructions from paramedics on the phone, 6ABC reports.
In the end, the Florida couple happily welcomed their baby girl, Ahlani Moon Smoot. While he's being showered with praises, Dawuane is giving credit to his wife. He said the successful delivery was a testament to her strength.
“She’s being coy right now. She’s definitely, really, the real MVP,” the football star said, according to WSVN. “She just jumped right into action, pulled the umbilical cord off, and she looked up, took a big breath and started crying.”
The lineman continued to praise his wife in an Instagram post, calling her "a true warrior."
The couple said they'd been getting ready to go to the hospital around 4 a.m. when Aumari fell to the ground, suddenly experiencing contractions.
"This contraction hits so hard. I'm falling to the ground. My body is telling me to push — I can feel it. And so I started to push," Aumari said.
When the baby girl entered the world, daddy was right there to catch her.
"I catch Aumari and hold her up and also catch the baby at the same time. That was everything going through my mind: make sure everybody's OK," the NFL veteran said.
The operator heard the baby crying through the phone and said that was a good sign. Dawuane was then told to "gently wipe off the baby's mouth and nose" and grab a shoestring.
"I'm like, 'What do we need a shoestring for?' They're like, 'You have to clamp the umbilical cord,' so I'm going, grabbing my shoes. I've never ripped out shoestrings faster in my life," he said.
The couple, who already have a 2-year-old son, are now enjoying precious moments with the newest member of their family.
“The whole thing was chaotic,” Aumari said. “And I’m just so proud of him for how he handled the situation.”
