Canadian offensive lineman John Urschel, who has played the last three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, is retiring from football at 26.

Urschel is known as much for his smarts as his football prowess. The 2014 fifth round pick is known as a "genius mathematician" and is currently Ph.D. candidate in mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

In a Players' Tribune areticle in 2015, Urschel wrote he envies Chris Borland, the former San Francisco 49ers linebacker who retired that year at age 24 over future concussion risks, and he objectively shouldn't play football because of his bright future in math.

“This morning John Urschel informed me of his decision to retire from football,” head coach John Harbaugh said in a team release. “We respect John and respect his decision. We appreciate his efforts over the past three years and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”

Urschel played guard and centre for the Ravens, appearing in 42 games with 15 starts over his three-year career.