NORTHERN STARS
Canadian players have helped to elevate the Nittany Lions' football program
|
ete Giftopoulos, who will always be
remembered for his goal-line inter-
ception that clinched Penn State's
historic victory over Miami in the 1987
Fiesta Bowl, is not the most famous
Canadian to play football for the Nittany
Lions.
Mathematical genius John Urschel is.
The dramatic photo of the Giftopoulos
interception is seared into the memory of
Penn State fans and is displayed promi-
nently in the homes of many alumni. Yet,
Giftopoulos and the photo aren't well-
known except to Penn State sports fans
and college football aficionados.
Urschel, an offensive lineman for the
Lions from 2009-2013,
is recognized around the
world in the rarified
mathematical commu-
nity. In 2017, Forbes
Magazine selected him
for its "30 under 30" list
of outstanding young
scientists. He also won
the prestigious Sullivan
Award in 2013 as the nation's outstand-
ing amateur athlete. The media spread
his fame further with stories about his
mathematical career while play-
ing for the Baltimore Ravens
from 2014-16 and then quitting
pro football to work on a Ph.D. in
applied mathematics at MIT.
More recently, Urschel was back
in the news when he was named
to the College Football Playoff
selection committee, whose
members determine the four
P
HISTORY IN THE
MAKING Giftop-
oulos clinched
PSU's national
title with his
last-minute in-
terception.
Photo courtesy
of the Penn
State All-Sports
Museum
F E A T U R E S
