Blue White Illustrated

In the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky scandal, the Freeh report and the imposition of severe NCAA sanctions, Urschel's sterling academic record stands as a sharp rebuttal to charges that the university has emphasized football success over academics. For a university and community that are eager to rehabilitate their image, Urschel is the elixir, and his story has been presented as the embodiment of Penn State's ultimate ideal. He has taken part in its Faces of Penn State public relations campaign and has an individual profile on the campaign's website detailing his many accomplishments. He also appears in a frequently aired TV commercial and on a banner on South Allen Street in downtown State College. It would not be an understatement to refer to Urschel as Penn State's poster child. And while he's uncomfortable with the notoriety his high-profile role has brought him, he has found a way to embrace its most idealistic aspects. "I accept the responsibility and I think it's an honor. This is a great university," he said. "I like the idea of being able to help my university out, because it's done so much for me. I'm helping them out a little bit, but this university has done tons for me. It just doesn't even compare, so I'm very grateful for the opportunity. "If it helps our football team, I'm going to do it. If it helps the university, I'm going to do it." But the storyline is an oversimplification. No PR blitz could ever do justice to the complexity of Urschel's personal journey. Urschel's father, Dr. John D. Urschel, a retired former section chief of general thoracic surgery at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, said that while his son has smiled willingly through the campaigns and photo ops, the portrait that has emerged is not entirely accurate. "He's not a person who delights in having his picture up on posters. That's not who he is," Urschel Sr. said. "He would prefer to receive attention just because he's good at playing football, rather than receive attention for these other issues. He feels it's his responsibility to the school to do his part. If they want JOHN URSCHEL "I'm focusing this summer on football. I'm really just ramping up my dedication level." BWI file photo to use his story to their advantage, he's going to say, 'Sure.' But to be honest, he grows weary of it. You can only have so many articles and stories about how he's a smart guy. It gets tiresome. "He's just looking forward to the day when this isn't the story anymore, when the story might be that he's a good football player, and that's it." *** These days, Urschel stands a robust 6-foot-3, 307 pounds. His arms are so thick it looks as though the sleeves might tear away from the rest of his shirt. His genial demeanor negates the intimidating aura that big men sometimes project. But on the football field, it's a different story. He's a fierce competitor obsessed with perfecting his technique. This hasn't always been the story. He was an unheralded prospect coming out of Canisius High in Buffalo, N.Y., in the winter of 2009. Rivals.com gave him two stars, and he was the secondto-last player to accept a scholarship offer from Penn State when he made his announcement in January of that year. He signed his letter of intent just weeks later, becoming the seventh offensive lineman in a class that was loaded with three- and four-star talent. "People told me I wasn't going to be good," said Urschel, who was favoring Princeton before he received Penn State's offer. "It's not like I go out and read the news, but I see things. Coming into Penn State, people didn't think I was going to be good at football. People were like, 'Who did Penn State just offer? Why waste a scholarship?' " Western New York didn't have a reputation for producing quality football players, so Urschel wasn't offended by the slights. And besides, once practice got under way, fan and media expectations meant nothing. Urschel quietly earned a spot on the two-deep his first training camp, then followed his redshirt year with limited playing time in his first season of action. By his redshirt sophomore season, he was splitting time at guard with DeOn'tae Pannell. Urschel would take the second and fourth quarters, while Pannell would take the first and third. His father was concerned that his football career had stalled and encouraged him to seek a transfer. But Bill O'Brien had made a good first impression after his hiring as head coach, and Urschel decided to stay. He has added more than 15 pounds of lean muscle since the arrival of strength coach Craig Fitzgerald, a rare feat among offensive linemen in college football. Perhaps even more important, he took his commitment to football to another level leading into the 2012 season. That commitment paid off, as he went on to start all 12 games for the Nittany Lions. And after the season, he received first-team All-Big Ten recognition from the conference coaches – a stirring moment of validation for all his work.

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