Department of Mathematical Sciences
Assistant Teaching Professor Job Talk
Monday, February 9th, 2026
11:00AM-11:50AM
Stratton Hall 202
Speaker: Rosemary Danaher, North Carolina State University
Abstract: If you are from New England, or spend time in New England, you probably know who Drake Maye is. (Hint: New England Patriot’s starting QB). Given that he will be playing in his first Superbowl as a 2nd year starter on February 8th, I thought it might be interesting to construct a Multiple Linear Regression Model to predict Maye’s 2024 rookie starting salary using a 95% prediction interval. We can then compare the prediction interval to his actual salary, to assess the reasonableness of his salary. We continue the analysis by looking at whether average starting salaries for rookie QBs with a #3 draft pick have changed significantly between 2015 and 2024.
The talk begins with an overview of the Simple Linear Regression Model and discusses how the Multiple Linear Regression model is simply an extension. Data from a well-known online source that captures NFL Football statistics is used to build the model after we brainstorm what predictors might be most useful and validate model assumptions. StatCrunch and R software are used to create graphs and perform the analysis.