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Jake Schum: Former NFL star and 'Finding Mr. Christmas' contestant on Hallmark
- Markos Papadatos
- 13 hours ago
- 6 min read
#Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos interviewed Former NFL punter Jake Schum about being a part of “Finding Mr. Christmas” Season 2 on Hallmark.
John C. Maxwell once said, “Dreams don’t work unless you do.” This quote applies to Jake Schum, 36, who was a contestant on the second season of “Finding Mr. Christmas,” which is hosted by Jonathan Bennett.
While he was eliminated first, unfortunately, Schum was still able to touch countless people on an emotional and inspirational level.
Schum hails from Lake View, New York, and he is presently a fitness professional and personal trainer. While he doesn’t have any acting experience per se, he is used to performing in front of large crowds due to his background as a professional football player.
“So, I did a thing… Get ready for some fun,” he exclaimed. “Man, it was hard to keep this a secret! Here we go,” Schum told his fans and followers on social media.
Schum joked that he temporarily “traded the gym for a merry competition.”
On his experience, Schum remarked, “It was awesome. Everything was great from every person I met. Jonathan, Melissa and all of the guys were amazing. I bonded with the guys so quickly.”
“Also, everyone behind the scenes in Hallmark was incredible. They are such great people. What made it special was building those connections. I have nothing but love for all of them,” he said.
“The whole experience was really fun,” he reiterated.
“This was something very new for me, and I didn’t know what to expect coming in,” he noted. “Growing up, all I’ve known, basically, is sports, especially football and family life.”
“It hits very different taking that family life now into something like this, especially being a father,” he attested.
“Going into this new thing and not knowing what to expect felt like an adrenaline rush of excitement, especially in regard of what is going to come from this, and what is going to happen,” he elaborated.
“It was just a really fun experience, and just the chaos of not knowing what to expect from it,” Schum added.
Regarding his favorite part of the “Finding Mr. Christmas” experience, he said, “Hanging out with the guys. It was a fun time, and we still have group chats and text messages going on, which is cool. We all support one another.”
“Everyone deserves to be in the show. Everyone deserves to be in a movie. They are all a great bunch of people,” he noted.
“Obviously, I wish I could have went further into it and done all the fun challenges, but it is what it is. I'm just appreciative of the time that I did have,” he acknowledged.
“I want viewers to see that behind all the festive moments is a deeper message about growth, connection, and saying yes to opportunities — even the ones that scare you — because those are the ones that can truly change your life,” he elaborated.
“I think they’ll see how amazing each individual is, they will love their stories, and they will certainly be entertained with a roller-coaster ride of emotions,” he acknowledged.
Schum managed to impress his fellow contestants and audiences at home dressing up as “Buff, Tough Santa” in the first challenge. “I had to make some type of impact,” he said with a sweet laugh. “They didn't show all the times burning my fingers when I was using the hot glue guns while there was a time limit.”
“I mean, I was sweating. I was in two layers of clothing, trying to work fast, and just the adrenaline and everything,” he said.
“I'm glad that I did really well with that, and that first ‘audition,’ as I call it,” he added. “I'm glad I could just go out there and try. I mean, that's all I can really do.”
On the lessons learned from this reality show, Schum reflected, “For me, being able to take a chance on something like that as nerve-wrecking as it can be, and not having that experience, it just shows that you need to go with it.”
“For me, having my daughter, even though she is 17 months old, I am showing her that you can do anything as long as you try and put yourself out there,” he acknowledged. “For me, it is testing myself again and again, and I am always looking for those new things,” he noted.
“Going out with a full heart is the biggest thing because you give it your all. I felt that going into it. Immediately, it was so heartwarming to meet all the guys and everybody, and we really bonded. It was just such an awesome experience,” he explained.
In a post on social media, “Finding Mr. Christmas” host Jonathan Benentt remarked about Jake Schum, “You are the best, and you are so loved by everyone. I know we are gonna see your face on TV again very soon. Congrats on an amazing episode.”
“What a legend. He came and did something he’s never done before on national TV and took a risk. I hope he inspires other people to do the same,” Bennett exclaimed about Schum.
On his favorite mottos to live by, Schum said, “I don't like living in a ‘what if’ type of scenario. I didn't want the show to come out and be like, ‘what if I just did it?’ So that was always my mentality, even with football.”
“I never wanted to wonder what if I worked harder or what if I tried harder? I want to leave it all out there where I never would have to wonder, so I just gave it my all,” he said.
“Other than that, it is just going after those opportunities because you don't know who you're going to meet, or who you're going to bump into,” he said.
“I've met some amazing people. So, while I didn't come out on top with this, I formed new friendships, made new connections and met some great people,” he acknowledged.
“You never know where that's going to lead to down the road, and that’s it. At the end of the day, it’s just having those new relationships and getting out of your comfort zone,” he said.
“It was uncomfortable for me to do this, but I'm not one to really settle. It's easy to be comfortable, but I don't like to stay comfortable. That’s how you grow… you need to find that comfort and discomfort,” he explained.
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he said with a sweet laugh, “Elite Dad Mode.”
“I love my personal training, and I love helping people. This has obviously opened up some new doors, new feelings, new drives. So, I am definitely going to try to keep this going and I will see what can come from it,” he said.
“I'm in the ‘dad’ chapter of life, and I'm still growing. That doesn't mean I have to put everything else to the side. I want to continue to improve because I want to show my family what I'm made of and continue to impress them,” he elaborated.
“I want to constantly just keep grow. So, that’s why I’m calling it ‘Elite Dad Mode’ because I’m in the dad chapter,” he added.
Schum gives us a glimpse into his mentality and philosophy of life. For Schum, everyday life is a “grind.” It is all about staying consistent and showing up every day, even though it might be hard.
“It’s even harder to look in the mirror knowing you didn’t,” he observed. “Keep pushing forward, stick with it, and trust the process.”
His superpower of choice would be “teleportation.” “I would love to teleport; that would be awesome,” he admitted. “It would allow me to go across the world really quickly.”
On his definition of the word success, he said, “Success, for me, is going through failure to try something. I think that’s exactly what my story has been with everything. If I didn’t try it at all that would be a true failure because I would constantly have those ‘what-ifs” but just going it, that was a success for me.”
“Success is not so much failure, but success means that you’re learning,” he added.
For his Hallmark fans and followers, he said, “Thank you for being so welcoming and so supportive of a new ‘aspiring actor.’ The fans of Hallmark have been so supportive and have said great things.”
“I hope my story inspires other people to go after their passions and dreams, no matter what it is. I hope this inspires other people to get out of their comfort zone,” he concluded.
American track and field icon Steve Prefontaine once said: “To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift.” Jake Schum embodies this wise quote by the running legend. His life story is an inspiration to us all.
To learn more about Jake Schum, follow him on Instagram.