Urschel recently drew 700 participants
worldwide for an event staged by the National
Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) called
Bending the Arc. Urschel is a member of the
board of trustees at MoMath and serves as
the organization’s ambassador by extolling
the virtues of the subject to children of all
backgrounds, particularly African-Americans.
“My job in some sense is to teach and
encourage young people in math, which is
very close to my heart,” Urschel said. “Math
for its own sake is a pretty reasonable pursuit
because no matter what field you go into,
you really need to able to think reasonably to
some degree.”
His vast education and independent study
of mathematic equations enable Urschel
to speak expertly about calculation and
intuitive thinking. Throw in the fact that he
played three seasons as an offensive lineman
with the Baltimore Ravens, and you’ve got a
combination that’s as sound as 1+1=2.
“John has a lure because he was a professional
football player, and we really honor that in
this country,” said Cindy Lawrence, CEO and
executive director of MoMath. “People are
very excited to meet someone who played
professional football. So that’s the hook.
And then we complete that with someone
who is enthusiastic and eloquent and speaks
wonderfully about the benefits of math.”
Now 29, Urschel starred at Penn State before
being selected by the Ravens in the fifth round
of the 2014 NFL draft. He played 40 games with
Baltimore, starting 13, and enjoyed just about
every minute of it.Image: Steve Ruark