Victory Bell Rings
Fansided

Former Penn State All-American John Urschel named to College Football Playoff Selection Committee

By Cameron Michael

COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 26: John Urschel #64 of the Penn State Nittany Lions blocks against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on October 26, 2013 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 26: John Urschel #64 of the Penn State Nittany Lions blocks against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on October 26, 2013 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

John Urschel was appointed to the College Football Playoff Selection Committee last month, set to serve a three-year term.

Announced by College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock last month, former Penn State All-American John Urschel was appointed to the selection committee with two others. Urschel is joined by athletics director for Wyoming Tom Burman and athletics director at Colorado, Rick George on the committee.

Urschel, Burman and George have taken the place of former members Frank Beamer, Chris Howard and Rob Mullens, who each had their terms expire. Urschel, George and Burman will each serve three-year terms, starting this spring.

“Tom, Rick and John each bring an exciting breadth of experiences and expertise to the committee,” Hancock said. “All three will continue the CFP tradition of committee members with high integrity and passion for the sport of college football.”

Urschel played and lettered for Penn State from 2009 to 2013 where he garnered more than his handful of awards and accomplishments. He was selected as first-team All-Big Ten at guard during his final season and finished as arguably the most distinguished player of his time when it was all said and done. His list of accomplishments on the field for Penn State are numerous:

  • First-Team Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-American
  • 2012-13 Big Ten Medal of Honor
  • William V. Campbell Trophy winner
  • 4.0 GPA
  • Ernest B. McCoy Memorial Award
  • All-Big Ten first-team at guard
  • All-Academic Big Ten
  • Student marshal for mathematics graduates
  • Published paper ‘Instabilities of the Sun-Jupiter-Asteroid Three Body Problem’
  • Forbes ’30 under 30′ list of outstanding young scientists

As accomplishments came for Urschel, he was most known for his drafting into the NFL by the Baltimore Ravens and subsequent retirement just three years into his professional career to focus on his studies and enrolled in MIT to earn a Ph. D in mathematics.

He has since become more well known in the mathematics circles than he was in football and has capped his personal life with marriage to writer Louisa Thomas and a daughter, all chronicled in his autobiography, Mind and Matter: A Life in Math and Football.

The College Football Playoff Selection Committee is integral in selecting the final four teams for the College Football Playoff every year. The playoff will take place on January 1, 2021 at the Rose Bowl and at the Sugar Bowl with the National Championship taking place on January 11, 2021 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami next year.

Home/Penn State Nittany Lions