# John Urschel left the NFL for mathematics — and just made a big breakthrough

> A quick take · The Washington Post, October 8, 2026

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LLMS index: [llms.txt](/llms.txt)

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> But every now and then, someone finds out. Last fall, a group of students in his introductory linear algebra class all decided to buy his Ravens jersey and wear it to the final exam.
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> Urschel, a self-described introvert, said he likes to keep to himself. But, he said, “If a student thinks that’s cool and gets them to come take my class, and they learn a lot of cool, numerical math, that sounds great to me.”
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> — [The Washington Post · John Urschel](https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2026/10/08/he-left-nfl-mathematics-just-made-big-breakthrough/)

He truly gives new meaning to “math taught by a PE teacher.”