John Urschel Returns to Penn State to Deliver Tech Speech

The All-Big Ten and NFL lineman will discuss technology in mathematics at a Penn State symposium.

John Urschel continues to be one of the great Penn State football stories of the past decade. He went from All-Big Ten lineman to the NFL before retiring in 2017 to pursue his passion in mathematics full-time. After writing a book and joining the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's math department, Urschel will return to Penn State in March to deliver a major speech about technology.

Urschel is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at Penn State's 2024 Teaching and Learning with Technology Symposium. According to the symposium's website, Urschel's speech will "explore the ways in which technology has shaped him as a mathematician and continues to impact the way he learns new material, teaches concepts to others, and performs research."

In 2019, Urschel published his book "Mind and Matter: A Life in Math and Football," which became a New York Times bestseller. In 2021 he completed his PhD in mathematics at MIT, where he serves as an assistant professor and applied mathematician. According to his website, Urschel concentrates his research on "matrix analysis and numerical analysis, with an emphasis on theoretical results and provable guarantees for practical problems.

Urschel was a fascinating player at Penn State. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in mathematics (in four years with a 4.0 grade-point average) while starting on the offensive line and serving as a teaching assistant. He won the 2013 Campbell Trophy as the nation's top football scholar-athlete but was as proud of his football accomplishments. Of being named a first-team All-Big Ten guard in 2012, Urschel said then, "I'd say that was my single greatest accomplishment to date. Period. Probably the greatest accomplishment of my whole life."

Urschel was a two-time, first-team All-Big Ten guard at Penn State, then landed with the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. In 2017, Urschel announced his retirement from the NFL after three seasons. Former Penn State coach Bill O'Brien uniquely described Urschel like this: "He's just as good a football player as he is a student."

"Let me try to explain this,” Urschel said in a 2013 interview. "I have a pretty big frame, and I’m fairly athletic, but I’m not some 6-6 massive offensive tackle. ... I had to work to become a good offensive lineman. I had to perfect my technique. I had to really make an effort in the weight room to get where I am today.

“While I’ve been successful in the classroom, I’ve been much more gifted mathematically. And while I’ve put in a serious effort in that as well, it comes much easier. And because it comes much easier, I’d say I take less pride in my accomplishments in that respect. I’d say I have higher standards for my accomplishments in [math], just because I’ve been blessed with more in that area.”

Penn State will conduct its Symposium for Teaching and Learning with Technology on March 23.

Former Penn State lineman, and current MIT mathematician, John Urschel is pictured at Penn State football Senior Day in 2013 :: Matthew O'Haren/USA Today Sports

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