Left to right: U of T undergraduate students Daniel Hocevar, Aaron White and Hassaan Inayatali. (Photo: Tyler Irving)
Three U of T undergraduates have been named finalists in the National Football League’s Big Data Bowl, one of the largest sports analytics competitions in the world.
Third-year computer science student Daniel Hocevar, third-year engineering science student Hassaan Inayatali and second-year statistical science student Aaron White developed a statistical model that transforms data derived from motion-tracking chips embedded in the players’ uniforms into animated heat maps.
Their colourful visualizations provide real-time analysis of the all-important pocket of space around the quarterback, including the amount of pressure it is under at any given moment and how long it is likely to last.
The team is one of only eight selected to participate in the finals — and one of only two composed of undergraduate students — from a field of more than 300 entries. Their winning entry earned them a $10,000 prize, and an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the 2023 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, in early March.
There, they will have four minutes to present their project to more than 200 football professionals. If successful, they will win a further $20,000, and a chance to be a part of NFL history.