Baltimore Ravens

Ravens' Urschel dishes on math in football, living like Gronkowski

Published Jun. 25, 2015 10:17 a.m. ET

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Ravens resident mathlete John Urschel gave a fun 1-on-1 interview with Bleacher Report's Mike Tanier and covered everything from advanced analytics in football to Rob Gronkowski's recent proclamation that he hasn't spent any of his NFL salary yet.

The entire discussion is worth a read, but here are some of the highlights:

On whether it's possible to heed a coach's request to give 100 percent:

I try to imagine that I give all I have, 100 percent, then I make a copy of myself, and I require that copy to give 10 percent. There's still 90 percent left for him to do, so there are many things that can be done.

Bleacher Report: So you create a normal John Urschel and an extra "slacker" John Urschel.

Right! Except, somehow this "slacker" John Urschel would be doing math research and reading things. I'm not sure Slacker John Urschel exists in any alternate universe.

On whether coaches will go for two more this season with longer extra points:

If people weren't going for two before, this change is not going to make them go for two. The change is not that significant. If the NFL wanted to make this a more dynamic play, they needed to move the two-point conversion to the 1-yard line. Then, you've got something interesting going on.

On convenient statistical analysis:

Oh, this team is undefeated when they run the ball 20 times and T.J. Houshmandzadeh catches five or more passes. I say, "OK."

On living off $25,000 per year:

My car is a Nissan Versa hatchback. It's very good on gas. I rent in Baltimore, but only in-season. During the Offseason Training Activities, it's a little known fact, but NFL teams actually have to house you if you do not have housing. So they house me in a hotel, which is very kind of them.

My main expenses consist of Starbucks coffee. On off days, you will see me in Starbucks drinking my tall dark roast in a corner, doing math. I do splurge, though. I do spend a lot on mathematical books as a gift to myself.

On living off "only" endorsement money:

OK, this Rob Gronkowski endorsements thing: Since you brought it up, I am going to state my opinion. This is not some amazing thing. I don't know who thinks this is amazing. God knows how much Rob Gronkowski makes on endorsements. Let's be honest here: He might make the same amount in endorsements as he does from his salary. Even if it's only a fourth of that, this is a large amount of money.

[Note: ESPN's Darren Rovell estimates that Gronkowski has earned $3.5 million in career endorsement money, while his current contract has paid him $16.3 million.]

It's tough to spend millions of dollars. You need to work at it. This would be like Tom Brady saying, "I don't spend any of my pro football salary. I just live off my endorsements." So Tom Brady is living off, I don't know, $15 million a year.

I mean, kudos to Gronkowski. I'm very happy that he's saving his money, because a lot of football players just blow all their money. I'm just saying that Rob Gronkowski is not living in some small, one-bedroom apartment or only spending $50,000 a year. He is living a nice life off those endorsements.

h/t: Bleacher Report