John Urschel is a mathematician and a former NFL offensive lineman. Urschel attended Penn State University, where he played football and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics. While at Penn State, he was awarded the Campbell Trophy, commonly known as the “Academic Heisman,” and the Sullivan Award, presented to “the most outstanding amateur...
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John Urschel is a mathematician and a former NFL offensive lineman. Urschel attended Penn State University, where he played football and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics. While at Penn State, he was awarded the Campbell Trophy, commonly known as the “Academic Heisman,” and the Sullivan Award, presented to “the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States.”
As an applied mathematician, Urschel’s research is focused on matrix analysis and computations. He is primarily interested in theoretical results and provable guarantees for practical algorithms/problems, which often lead to new and improved algorithms. In 2017, Urschel was named to Forbes’ “30 under 30” list of outstanding young scientists, and, in 2019, published a New York Times-bestselling memoir, “Mind and Matter: A Life in Math and Football.”
Currently, Urschel is an assistant professor in the MIT Math department. He has previously held appointments as a Junior Fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellow and as a member of the Institute for Advanced Study. He received his PhD in mathematics from MIT in 2021, under the supervision of Michel Goemans.
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Speaker Programs
From the Trenches to the Algorithm: Winning in the Age of AI
The same discipline that anchors an offensive line now underpins the mathematics driving AI. Urschel demystifies what's really happening inside today's intelligent systems — the data, the algorithms, the limits — and pairs it with ...more
The same discipline that anchors an offensive line now underpins the mathematics driving AI. Urschel demystifies what's really happening inside today's intelligent systems — the data, the algorithms, the limits — and pairs it with the high-performance mindset it takes to adapt as the game changes. Rigorous enough for the technologists in the room, human enough for everyone else. ...less
Student of the Game: Peak Performance as a Discipline
The habits that make an All-Big Ten lineman and an MIT mathematician turn out to be the same ones. Urschel draws on his path from the NFL trenches to the whiteboard to show how mastery ...more
The habits that make an All-Big Ten lineman and an MIT mathematician turn out to be the same ones. Urschel draws on his path from the NFL trenches to the whiteboard to show how mastery is built — deliberate practice, relentless film study, and the discipline to keep learning long after you've "made it." An entertaining, motivating close for any team chasing its next level. ...less
The Calculated Decision: Walking Away at the Top (Healthcare)
At 26, Urschel walked away from an NFL career after a CTE study forced an honest reckoning with the odds. This is the unpackaged story of a data-driven bet on his own future — weighing ...more
At 26, Urschel walked away from an NFL career after a CTE study forced an honest reckoning with the odds. This is the unpackaged story of a data-driven bet on his own future — weighing money, status, and passion against risk — and what it teaches leaders about making the high-stakes calls no spreadsheet can make for you. ...less
Where the Numbers Meet the Field (Sports Analytics / Decision-Making)
Sports and math don't just coexist — they sharpen each other. Urschel breaks down how analytics reshapes the way we scout talent, call plays, and manage risk, translating the mindset of data-driven athletics into decisions ...more
Sports and math don't just coexist — they sharpen each other. Urschel breaks down how analytics reshapes the way we scout talent, call plays, and manage risk, translating the mindset of data-driven athletics into decisions any organization can use. A lively, accessible look at reading the signal in the noise. ...less
Maximizing Technology
Urschel’s keynote address 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. ...more
Urschel’s keynote address 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. ...less
Books
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