And then, in July 2017, Urschel abruptly
retired and turned his full attention toward his
studies at MIT.
“I have amazing memories of playing in the
NFL. There’s nothing more special than to play
a sport at a high level,” he said. “Three years was
the perfect time. I have a pension, I’m vested, I
really got the experience.
“I’m glad I decided to go into the NFL instead
of going straight to a Ph.D., which I was
thinking about. I’m glad I got out when I
did because I have a lot of things in math
that I want to do. I want to prove myself as
a mathematician.”
The potential for concussions and a study
that showed the prevalence of chronic
traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in deceased
players also were factors in his exit from
the football.
“The cost of an NFL season on your body, not
just your head, was definitely something I had
to think about,” Urschel said.
Urschel wrote a book called “Mind and Matter:
A Life in Math and Football” that was published
last year. He got it done while studying at MIT
and remains on course to graduate this spring.
“My job is going to be a professor at some
math department or computer science
department where my primary responsibility
will be to perform research, and I hope be able
to teach the values and importance of broader
sciences,” he said.
Urschel will always be welcomed at the
New York City-based National Museum
of Mathematics.