ARTICLE: Wondering about the Wonderlic

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Wondering about the Wonderlic
BY JOHN SMALLWOOD
Knight Ridder Newspapers

PHILADELPHIA - Apparently, I missed my true calling.

Tuesday, I took a five-question sample of the Wonderlic test run in the Dallas Morning News and got three correct.

That would score me at 60 percent - that's right at the figure NFL teams prefer their quarterbacks to score on the infamous test that is described by its creator, Wonderlic Inc., as a "short-form measure of cognitive ability designed for simple administration and interpretation."

Now, if only I could have been able to stretch 220 pounds over a 6-3 frame, have a howitzer for an arm, throw with the accuracy of a sniper and run like a gazelle, I could have been playing on Sundays instead of watching from the press box.

I make light of this, because some people are trying to use the opposite logic to re-emphasize the notion that University of Texas star Vince Young is a risky gamble to make the transition from successful collegiate quarterback to successful professional one.

A story in Tuesday's Dallas Morning News said that Young, who led Texas to the national championship and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting, allegedly scored a six the first time he took the 50-question standardized test at last weekend's NFL scouting combine.

That would mean he got only 12 percent of the questions correct. The next day Young reportedly scored a 16 (32 percent).

Now, Young has suddenly become the subject of jokes and is having his intelligence questioned after the supposed confidential results of a subjective test were leaked.

The problem is that Wonderlic isn't a true measure of a person's intelligence at all.

As we have seen over and over, there are too many debatable variables involved to say that tests such as the Wonderlic, the SAT or ACT are indicative of a person's ability to learn.

The NFL gives players 12 minutes to complete the 50 questions on the Wonderlic, which is a lot of pressure to put on someone who knows millions of dollars are potentially at stake.

"It's basically a reading-comprehension test," Kansas City Chiefs president Carl Peterson told the Morning News. "It's an indication that a young man may or may not have a reading-comprehension problem.

"How important is that to us? We do a lot of teaching from playbooks."

When a franchise is going to invest millions of dollars in a player, I have no problem with it conducting as many evaluations as possible to make sure it doesn't make a mistake.

Still, as far as quarterbacks are concerned, there is little indication that the Wonderlic does anything to predict success.

High scores haven't guaranteed success and low scores haven't guaranteed failure.

At the 1999 combine, Donovan McNabb reportedly scored a 12.

That didn't stop the Eagles from drafting him second overall, and all he has done since is win more games than any quarterback over the last six seasons, make five Pro Bowls and guide the Birds to a Super Bowl appearance.

In contrast, Akili Smith (37), Cade McNown (28) and Tim Couch (22), who all reportedly got higher marks on the Wonderlic than McNabb and were also drafted in 1999, are now out of the NFL.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's reported score of 25 was lower than 2004 draft mates Eli Manning (39), J.P. Losman (31) and Philip Rivers (30), but Big Ben won a Super Bowl in his second season, while the others are still struggling with the intricacies of the NFL.

The highest-scoring quarterback in 2004 reportedly was Dallas Cowboys project Drew Henson (42), who might have been better off continuing his struggling baseball career in the New York Yankees system than trying the NFL.

Baltimore quarterback Kyle Boller (27) reportedly scored higher than Cincinnati's Carson Palmer (26) and Jacksonville's Byron Leftwich (25) in 2003, but he hasn't come close to having the NFL success they have.

Right now, Boller's status is shakier than Tampa Bay quarterback Chris Simms, who reportedly scored 22 in 2003.

From the 2002 class, Detroit's Joey Harrington and Washington's Patrick Ramsey each reportedly scored 32. But while their teams are considering getting rid of them, David Carr, who reportedly scored a 24, just got an extension from the Houston Texans.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback and two-time MVP Peyton Manning reportedly scored a 28, which was only one point better than all-time draft bust Ryan Leaf, who was picked only one spot behind him in 1998.

Brett Favre is said to have scored 22 and Dan Marino 14.

Now I ask: Who showed less intelligence, those two Hall of Fame players or the combined brain trust of all the teams that passed on them in the draft?

Maybe the report that Vince Young scored low on the Wonderlic does say something. I just doubt that whatever it is has anything to do with his potential to be a successful quarterback in the NFL.​

 

[RCowboyFan]

I think some of the older guys, scores, are more of indicators than lately, as they were not coached up to take the tests, like they do with current core of players. Where their 40 times etc. are probably way too inflated, to give true indication of real football speed anyway.

Since these wonderlic tests are not really true IQ tests, but just a quick snap tests, they are really true indicators of intelligence. Low score doesn't mean they are stupid. But high score probably means they are very intelligent, but may not have the football IQ, which matters most.

 

[AbeBeta]

But high score probably means they are very intelligent, but may not have the football IQ, which matters most.

But who is more likely to have a good football IQ? A guy who scores high or low?

 

[RCowboyFan]

But who is more likely to have a good football IQ? A guy who scores high or low?

Well, obviously, it has to be the one that has high score.

Even with High IQ scores, it necessarily doesn't translate into being super smart. Maybe you have the ability to be one, but doesn't mean you are. Case in point, I heard or Read that SHaron stone has something like 160 or high IQ score. I wouldn't exactly term her being very smart/Intelligent person, from having read her views etc.

So I think, it can be a good measuring stick, like the article says, but not the big deal, everyone would like it to be. If all other things considered, only thing that is sticking like a sore thumb is wonderlic score, then I think you should throw it out.

And also, for my understanding, real IQ tests, are not the ones where you answer few questions and you get an accurate reading. Its bit more involved, and I Guess some are fine tuned or changed to cater to the person being tested. For example, I know Metric system way better than a US or Imperial system. So if I were to be tested in US measurements, I would fail most likely etc.

 

[Dayton Cowboy]

Heck, I just took a sample and scored what would have been a 44 equivalent. I can assure you I am not a genius by a long run. So whether it be 6 or 16, those are not good scores.

Don't get me wrong, I've seen progress in every year that Vince has been the Longhorn's QB. I watched him in the Rosebowl against Michigan, which was the more impressive game than this years championship game, IMO. I watched as OSU dared him to beat him in the air and he did just that(my homerism on the buckeyes will come in with the next statement though.. I am not so sure Texas wins if Troy Smith would have started from the very beginning). I also saw him in several other games during the season as well. I do think he will be a good prospect if he continues to develop his game after he gets in the league. I think that the Titans would be a great fit for Vince because he would not have to start right away and learn behind McNair(Unless the Titans have to cut McNair because of the lack of an extended cba deal).

 

[BlueWave]

People act like it's a crime to dare be critical of Vince Young. What makes Vince Young any more a Pro prospect than Scott Frost, Eric Crouch, or Charlie Ward?

His big arm? How can we be so sure. He won't throw. The only time he did have the oppotunity to show his arm strength was in the skills competition, and Brodie Croyle put him to shame throwing it 75 yards.

Sure he can run in college. The list is endless of other great college running QB's that never turned out to be pro QB's. He's 6'5" inches tall. He will get blown up in the NFL, when all 11 guys on the other side of the ball are as fast as him and most of them quicker as well.

Just too many questions here. Seems like he is trying to hide something by not working out.

 

[VirusX]

Im confoozed :

 

[RCowboyFan]

People act like it's a crime to dare be critical of Vince Young. What makes Vince Young any more a Pro prospect than Scott Frost, Eric Crouch, or Charlie Ward?

His big arm? How can we be so sure. He won't throw. The only time he did have the oppotunity to show his arm strength was in the skills competition, and Brodie Croyle put him to shame throwing it 75 yards.

Sure he can run in college. The list is endless of other great college running QB's that never turned out to be pro QB's. He's 6'5" inches tall. He will get blown up in the NFL, when all 11 guys on the other side of the ball are as fast as him and most of them quicker as well.

Just too many questions here. Seems like he is trying to hide something by not working out.

Okie, Dokie, I didn't know people were lining up to put someone in jail if Vince Young was critisized?

I mean, this thread is about whether Wonderlic scores mean anything in terms of QB ability. And now you turn this to be some sort of Vince Young Defense?

I guess Matt Leinart is not trying to hide something by not working out in Combine?

 

[joseephuss]

People act like it's a crime to dare be critical of Vince Young. What makes Vince Young any more a Pro prospect than Scott Frost, Eric Crouch, or Charlie Ward?

His big arm? How can we be so sure. He won't throw. The only time he did have the oppotunity to show his arm strength was in the skills competition, and Brodie Croyle put him to shame throwing it 75 yards.

Sure he can run in college. The list is endless of other great college running QB's that never turned out to be pro QB's. He's 6'5" inches tall. He will get blown up in the NFL, when all 11 guys on the other side of the ball are as fast as him and most of them quicker as well.

Just too many questions here. Seems like he is trying to hide something by not working out.

It is obvious that Vince Young has a better arm than Frost, Crouch and Ward. That can be seen in the games. He was asked to pass the ball more than either Frost or Crouch. Not only more, but the type of passes as well. Ward was in a similar offense. I am not saying that automatically makes Young a great prospect, but he certainly brings more to the table as far as passing than any of those guys.

There are definite concerns on his ability to pass the ball at the NFL level, but he is better than the guys you mentioned. Throwing at the combine would not have answered those concerns either. Scouts, coaches and GMs would still have to look through a lot of game film to go along with any combine or personal workout to figure out if he has true potential. Every negative against Young at this point is legitimate and so is every positive. That goes for any prospect.

Throwing the ball the furtherst isn't the best way to evaluate a QB. Kyle Boller can throw farther than anyone in the NFL right now, but that really doesn't help his game. Teams are going to have to determine if Young can learn to make the throws necessary to be successful.