The NFL Lineman Who Became an MIT Math Professor | Better in Person

John Urschel is what you might call a double unicorn. He was good enough at football to play in the N.F.L., with the Baltimore Ravens. And he was good enough at math to get his Ph.D. from M.I.T. — while playing in the N.F.L.! John tells Stephen Dubner how he squeezed in his M.I.T. coursework during the N.F.L. season. On team flights, he kept the covers of his math books hidden. “It’s a chess book,” he told them. Stephen wants to know how a person ends up world-class at two things so far apart. Also, why did John turn down a call from Stanford? What does he actually love about hitting people? And what finally made him walk away from the N.F.L.? During a break in the conversation, John tries to teach Stephen some blocking techniques — and he also explains why some infinities are bigger than others. #betterinperson #freakonomicsradio #johnurschel Airs weekly on Tuesdays. Don't miss an episode! Subscribe NOW: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXjf7anLJA4NqUv8kPFIJWA?sub_confirmation=1 Introducing ChatGPT Work - Put ChatGPT to work on your most ambitious ideas and projects. Download the new ChatGPT desktop app today at www.chatgpt.com ABOUT BETTER IN PERSON: Everyone has a public story. Stephen Dubner wants the rest. On Better in Person, Dubner invites remarkable people into his home for a kind of conversation that’s hard to find: curious, free-wheeling, even profound. They talk, play, eat and drink, argue and laugh. The result? Less interview, more shared discovery. This is how a conversation works. FOLLOW BETTER IN PERSON: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterinpersontv TikTok: http://tiktok.com/betterinpersontv FOLLOW STEPHEN DUBNER: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephenjdubner LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-dubner-2a066578/ Substack: https://stephendubner.substack.com FOLLOW FREAKONOMICS: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freakonomics/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freakonomics/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@freakonomicsradio Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/freakonomics LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/freakonomics-media/ Threads: https://www.threads.com/@freakonomics CHAPTERS: 0:00 Meet John Urschel 0:58 Growing Up With Football, Books, and Puzzles 2:27 The Book That Sparked John’s Curiosity 4:09 Why Urschel Chose Penn State Over Stanford 7:12 When Did the NFL Become a Possibility? 8:25 The Physical Demands of Playing Offensive Line 10:18 What John Urschel Loved About Hitting People 12:56 How He Earned a PhD From MIT While Playing in the NFL 14:42 How John Balanced an MIT PhD With the NFL 17:15 CTE, Brain Trauma, and John’s Decision to Retire 18:31 Why He Walked Away From a Second NFL Contract 20:25 How Many People Actually Like Math? 25:07 How John’s Wife Changed His Perspective on Life 26:21 Would Urschel Let His Kids Play Football? 27:51 John Urschel’s Relationship With Football Today 28:19 The Role of Hard Work, Talent, and Luck The NFL Lineman Who Became an MIT Math Professor | Better in Person https://youtu.be/uTCEZcNIXK0