!
"
!
|
ohn Urschel cringes when he hears the word.
Perfect.
Only a month away from the start of his final season as a Penn State student-athlete, Urschel has
grown accustomed to seeing that adjective applied
to his academic pursuits. In only three calendar
years, he finished his undergraduate degree in
mathematics with a 4.0 grade point average. In the
year that followed, he earned his master's degree,
compiling another 4.0 GPA.
Most students on Penn State's sprawling University Park campus would envy his transcript. But to Urschel, the reality
doesn't match the description.
"I don't really like it. I'm not a fan," he said, choosing each
word carefully. "I wouldn't really call myself perfect or even
very close to perfect. This is going to sound strange, but I feel
like sometimes I'm imagined as someone who is superhuman,
who does these ridiculous things and doesn't have normal problems. I have the same problems that everyone else does.
"Honestly, I'm just a regular guy. I like math. I like football. I
like doing well at the things I do, so I work hard and I try my
best."
Urschel earned CoSIDA Academic All-America recognition following the 2012 season, and if he has a strong senior campaign
at right guard, he could very well earn the National Football
Foundation's prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy, which
goes to the country's top student-athlete.
