top mathlete

8/18/2019 Top Mathlete

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N F L p l ay e r J o h n U r s c h e l is a l s o a m a t h e m a t ic i a n !

“Math helps train my brain to make quick

decisions, and that is extremely useful as a

football player,” he says. Meanwhile, football

inspires a competitive approach to math—

which helped him maintain a 4.0 GPA in

college and graduate school.

Some people have worried that Urschel

could injure his powerful brain in a game.

Football results in more brain injuries than

any other sport in the U.S.; in 2014,202

concussions were diagnosed among NFL

players. Urschel knows this, but he loves the

game too much to quit. Eventually, he says,

his body will tell him when to stop. Thenhe’ll pick up his mathematical career.

No matter what, “both math and football

will continue to be a part of my life," he says.

“I’ll have to stay close to the game—I love it

very much.”

—Jacqueline Barba

ii Math is an

exercise in training

your brain to think

originally. It ’s abo ut

taking w hat you

know and using it to

face something you

haven’t seen before.”

—J o h n U r s c h e l


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ADDING & SUBTRACTING NEGATIVE INTEGERS

A football field is like a number line. When the

Ravens head from the 50-yard line at the middle

of the field to their opponents' end zone, they’re

traveling in the positive direction-and gaining

ground. When they get pushed back toward their

own end zone, they’re traveling in the negative

direction, losing ground. The number line works in

reverse for the opposing team.

Example: The Ravens are at the Steelers’ 30-yard

line. They gain 12 yards on the first play but lose

22 yards on their second play. What is their net

yardage-the total yards lost or gained-fo r these

plays, and where is the ball on the field now?

WATCH

f VIDEOiolastic.com

/math

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BONUSSKILLSSHEETSscholastic.com

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Set up an expression:

ŝŝ (!D+@Solve the expression:/ yards

lost

So the//Raven s have

Yl + ~VL = Yi- VI = f~IO ) lost 10 yards.

To find where the ball is, look at the football

field below. Draw a point at the Steelers’

30-yard line. Then move the point 10 yards

back (toward the Ravens’ end zone).

The Ravens had a net loss of 10 yards; the

ball is now on the Steelers ’ 40-yard line.

Use this information and the football field below to

answer the questions that follow.

Q A . Ravens quarterbackMatt Schaub completes a

pass, gaining 28 yards. On the

next play, the defense for the

Pittsburgh Steelers-the Ravens’

No.1 rival-sacks Schaub for a

15-yard loss. Write and solve

an equation for the Ravens’ net

yardage after these two plays.

Ravens’ zone

O A . During a play, the

Ravens drop back 15 yards

and then gain 7 yards. Writeand solve an equation for their

net yardage.

Steelers’ zone

A . Over a series of plays

the Ravens lose 13 yards,

gain 20 yards, and lose 3 yards.Write and solve an equation for

their net yardage.

3B. If the above series of

Ravens’ plays began at the

Steelers' 40-yard line, where is

the ball on the field now?

IB. If the Ravens started the

play at their 37-yard line, where

are they on the field now?

2B. If the first play started at the

50-yard line, where is the ball on

the field now?

Q Steelers quarterback BenRoethlisberger throws a

pass to the Steelers' 40-yard

line. The receiver runs the ball

35 yards toward the Ravens'

end zone. How many more yards

must the Steelers still travel to

reach the end zone?

SCHOLASTIC.COM/MATH 5


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C o p y r i g h t o f S c h o l a s t i c M a t h i s t h e p r o p e r t y o f S c h o l a s t i c I n c . a n d i t s c o n t e n t m a y n o t b e

c o p i e d o r e m a i l e d t o m u l t i p l e s i t e s o r p o s t e d t o a l i s t s e r v w i t h o u t t h e c o p y r i g h t h o l d e r ' s

e x p r e s s w r i t t e n p e r m i s s i o n . H o w e v e r , u s e r s m a y p r i n t , d o w n l o a d , o r e m a i l a r t i c l e s f o r

i n d i v i d u a l u s e .

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