JOHN URSCHEL
John Urschel
Raised in Winnipeg, Canada, John Urschel fostered a love for football at a young age. But football was never his only skill. His mother could tell he had a mind for patterns. She helped expand and fill his mind with puzzles and workbooks, which he eagerly devoured at the kitchen table. Urschel credits his mother for recognizing the potential in her son and seizing the opportunity to fulfill it. However, the love for football came from his father. Urschel quoted, “When I was very little, I loved puzzles. I loved solving problems. And that's math, and I was fascinated with that sort of thing. And in high school, I started playing football and I fell in love with it.” Once he saw a picture of his dad in pads, he wanted to be just like him. He wanted to follow in his footsteps, and it is safe to say, he did, while simultaneously keeping his passion for mathematics.
Urschel graduated from Canisius High School and enrolled in Penn State University where he majored in mathematics. After Urschel earned his Bachelor’s and Master's degrees, he taught a few math classes which came to a halt due to his selection in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He enjoyed playing football but felt as if something was missing. After a groundbreaking study was announced on chronic traumatic encephalopathy in deceased players, Urschel retired. He later pursued his Ph.D. in mathematics at MIT. During that time, he made it his goal to promote more diversity in the field of mathematics. He quoted, “Now more than ever, it’s really important that we highlight some of the diverse areas of mathematics that don’t typically get seen every day.” He joined the board of trustees at the National Museum of Mathematics as part of his journey of bringing diversity to the field. As for future plans, in the fall of 2023, he will be an assistant professor in the MIT math department.
Urschel’s determination and strong will to achieve his dreams are a big inspiration to children all over the world. When Urschel was still in the NFL, he had gone to a high school math class in Baltimore to talk during one of his days off. In fact, one of those students had sent him an email, letting him know that he’s at Penn State University, majoring in engineering. Urschel was so happy to hear that one of his talks inspired a student. He quoted, “Those are the things you hope for, and I think these things do make a difference. I know I wouldn’t be where I am today as a mathematician if it wasn’t for a lot of specific people, a lot of different mathematicians deciding that I was worth their time.” Over the past couple of years, Urschel has worked hard to encourage and empower African American children to work in mathematics. Urschel said, “It’s very hard to dream of being in a career if you can’t relate to anyone who’s actually in that field.” Because of this, Urschel has become an inspiration to the younger generation that is hoping to pursue a similar path to his.
~Pallavi '23, Dominic '25, Angie '23
Sources:
https://news.mit.edu/2019/student-john-urschel-math-football-0515
