BigTen-er, NFL-er and MIT scientist

[FeliSilvestris]

Until recently I was unaware of the fascinating story of John Urschel (<---). He went from a relatively unheralded 2009 HS OL, to a successful college career at PSU, to the NFL's Ravens (5th round pick).

But the most fascinating aspect of his life is what he does outside the NFL: he's pursuing a PhD in math at MIT!!! As if that wasn't enough, he already has several well-regarded scientific publications.

Checking on his recruiting history, it seems that Stanford was involved, but did not offer. BC did offer. It seems reasonable to conjecture that if he had received an offer from NU he would have with high probability taken it over PSU's. But NU isn't even mentioned in connection with his recruitment. What could have happened?

Apparently NU missed out on an NFL-caliber athlete and an MIT-caliber scholar!!

It should NOT have happened!!

 

[d'son d]

Until recently I was unaware of the fascinating story of John Urschel (<---). He went from a relatively unheralded 2009 HS OL, to a successful college career at PSU, to the NFL's Ravens (5th round pick).

But the most fascinating aspect of his life is what he does outside the NFL: he's pursuing a PhD in math at MIT!!! As if that wasn't enough, he already has several well-regarded scientific publications.

Checking on his recruiting history, it seems that Stanford was involved, but did not offer. BC did offer. It seems reasonable to conjecture that if he had received an offer from NU he would have with high probability taken it over PSU's. But NU isn't even mentioned in connection with his recruitment. What could have happened?

Apparently NU missed out on an NFL-caliber athlete and an MIT-caliber scholar!!

It should NOT have happened!!

Until recently I was unaware of the fascinating story of John Urschel (<---). He went from a relatively unheralded 2009 HS OL, to a successful college career at PSU, to the NFL's Ravens (5th round pick).

But the most fascinating aspect of his life is what he does outside the NFL: he's pursuing a PhD in math at MIT!!! As if that wasn't enough, he already has several well-regarded scientific publications.

Checking on his recruiting history, it seems that Stanford was involved, but did not offer. BC did offer. It seems reasonable to conjecture that if he had received an offer from NU he would have with high probability taken it over PSU's. But NU isn't even mentioned in connection with his recruitment. What could have happened?

Apparently NU missed out on an NFL-caliber athlete and an MIT-caliber scholar!!

It should NOT have happened!!

Perhaps he was unheralded, or lived nearby, or wasn't that big. Yeah, we miss a few non-offers. But he does a great commercial with anther unheralded high school player (JJ Watt) in which, I am sure, john actually knows what he is describing on the board!!

 

[d'son d]

His bio in high school is revealing. He was one of those famous "2 stars", had acceptance packages from Princeton and Cornell, but was outstanding on the gridiron. I suspect we didn't pursue him because: he came on the radar in his senior year; he looked like an Ivy League person; NU was probably filled up then: PSU took him as their 25th member. And while I am impressed by his football career; his cerebral power is spectacular. math, in the abstract is hard enough. Pursuing a Phd while playing football, and publishing in peer review journals is beyond belief. There have been other Phd's in the NFL (Bart Starr for one), but this is a "dumb old lineman" we're looking at. Wow! Yeah, I guess NU missed on that one.

 

[FrancisSearle75]

There's a handful of these student athletes. The one that always comes to mind is Florida State's Myron Rolle.

https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/15377

His story is so remarkable that even my wife who doesn't really follow football knows of him.

He was a rivals 5 star that had offers from the usual football factories.

In addition to the usual football awards and being an NFL draftee, he was a Rhodes Scholar and was recently accepted to MGH to train in neurosurgery.