Chunked Article

Top Mathlete
NFL player John Urschel is also a mathematician!
February 15, 2016 By Jacqueline Barba

 John Urschel is a football player for the Baltimore Ravens.

 He plays on the offensive line.
 He is also a mathematician with two math degrees and published math papers. He has also taught calculus
classes at Pennsylvania State University.
 He has two loves: math and football.
 John Urschel said “When I was a kid, I always wanted to try to find the answers to things. Math was like a puzzle
to me, and that’s what I really took to.”
 He refused to give up either football or math even though they are time consuming. He is quoted as saying, “I
never stopped doing both, never stopped loving both, never stopped focusing on both.” He believes his
dedication to both makes him better at both.
 Urschel is aware football is dangerous sport and brain injuries are more common in football than any other
sport. He has decided to let his body decide when it is time for him to quit football which will allow him to focus
on math.
 Urschel says, “Math is an exercise in training your brain to think originally. It’s about taking what you know and
using it to face something you haven’t seen before.”

Adding and Subtracting Negative Integers

*The football is like a number line.

*A positive motion for the Ravens would be to move from the 50-yard line at the middle of the field to their
opponents’ zone, gaining ground.
*A negative motion for the Ravens would be to be pushed back from the 50-yard line into their own zone.
*This would be opposite for the opposing team.

Example: The Ravens are at the Steelers’ 30-yard line. They gain 12 yards on the first play but lose 22 yards on their
second play. What is their net yardage-the total yard lost or gained-for these plays, where is the ball on the field
now?

Reference

Barba, J. (2016, February 15). Top mathlete: NFL player John Urschel is also a mathematician! Scholastic Math.