slyng1 Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Unfortunately don't have a link, so have to copy & paste the story here. (From Bloomberg News). Apparently scoring to high on this test is a bad thing. Who knew... NFL's Pre-Draft Test Raises Too-Smart-for-Football Question By Aaron Kuriloff April 24 (Bloomberg) -- The prospective National Football League players being drafted this weekend are given a standardized test to measure general intelligence. They might not want to take it too seriously. In a months-long process of gauging everything physical about the players -- from their foot speed to catching ability to chest strength -- the test is the only leaguewide attempt to measure brainpower. In the end, it determines how well a player fits a profile more than how smart he is, said agent Brad Blank, whose clients include New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi and Washington Redskins quarterback Todd Collins. He helps clients raise their scores -- but only to a point, he says. Getting a perfect 50 might hurt more than scoring 20. ``If you score really high on the test, they say, `Well, this guy might be less coachable,''' Blank said in a telephone interview. ``If I see somebody score in the high 30s, I tell them, `You've got to get a few more wrong.''' All of the 330 or so college players invited to the league's annual scouting event take the 12-minute Wonderlic Personnel Test as they audition for jobs in the most-watched sport on U.S. television. Wonderlic Inc.'s 71-year-old test is used by about 7,000 companies to screen applicants for ``general intelligence,'' according to the closely held company's Web site. The NFL began using the test in the 1970s, following the lead of then-Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry. What Worries Teams High scores can earn players praise for being smart. Scores that are too high can brand them as problematic, said David Stevens, a developmental psychologist who has evaluated players for the Redskins, one of several teams that also use its own testing process. ``Teams are concerned with very low and very high scores,'' said Stevens, who designs educational software at Hanover, New Hampshire-based Symphony Learning, which makes educational software. ``They want guys that are coachable and do what they're told.'' The test was designed with such a spread in mind, said Bill Geheren, director of marketing for Libertyville, Illinois-based Wonderlic, a provider of human resources products and consulting. Psychologist Eldon Wonderlic developed the test in 1937. The U.S. Navy used it during World War II in selecting candidates for flight training. Offensive Linemen Wonderlic helps companies develop a score range for a given job, then find applicants who perform within those parameters, Geheren said. Scores range from 0 to 50, according to the company, and 20 matches the mean IQ score of 100. Offensive linemen average 26, the highest, followed by quarterbacks at 24. Running backs get the lowest, with 16. Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Eli Manning, the Giants quarterback, scored 39 on the test, according to CBSSportsline.com. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who set the record for touchdown passes in a season last year, tested at 33. There are better ways to measure a player's smarts, said Detroit Lions coach Rod Marinelli. ``I've been around a lot of guys now who really like football and maybe aren't the sharpest knife in the box, but they find a way to be smart because they like this so much and they're willing to work,'' Marinelli told reporters. Learning the Playbook Any coach or general manager who thinks high test scores make someone too smart for football is kidding himself, said Aaron Schatz, editor of the annual ``Pro Football Prospectus'' who also runs the statistics Web site FootballOutsiders.com. It's hard to memorize dozens of formations and the assignments that go with each of them. ``The biggest difference between guys who make it in the NFL and guys who wash out is intelligence,'' Schatz said. ``If you see a guy who's a first-round pick not make it, it's probably because he couldn't read the playbook.'' Chris Long, the University of Virginia player rated the draft's top defensive end by NFLdraftscout.com, who is the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame member Howie Long, said he found the test much easier than the College Board's SAT, used for college admissions. ``I thought it was cake compared to the SATs,'' Long said in an interview. ``For the most part it was just common-sense, think-on-your-feet type stuff.'' Sample Questions Sample questions posted on Wonderlic's Web site include: What is the next number in the series 29, 41, 53, 65, and 77? A: 75. B: 88. C: 89. D: 98. E: 99. (Answer: C.) Which three of the following words have similar meanings? A: observable. B: manifest. C: hypothetical. D: indefinite E: theoretical. (Answer: C, D, E.) Long tried to do as well as he could, he said. Combine officials don't release players' scores. Doing well is fine for quarterbacks and offensive lineman, who are supposed to score well, said Blank, the agent. He says he advises linebackers and other players who typically score lower not to exceed expectations. ``If we wanted to, we could really coach them and get the scores a lot higher,'' Blank said. ``If their score is in the teens, I'm going to get them into the 20s. If their score is in the 30s, I'm probably going to get them down a bit.'' --Editor: Michael Sillup, Robert Simison To contact the reporter on this story: Aaron Kuriloff in New York at +1-212-617-5697 or akuriloff@bloomberg.net. To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Sillup at +1-212-617-1262 or msillup@bloomberg.net. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChevyVanMiller Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Unfortunately don't have a link, so have to copy & paste the story here. (From Bloomberg News). Apparently scoring to high on this test is a bad thing. Who knew... NFL's Pre-Draft Test Raises Too-Smart-for-Football Question By Aaron Kuriloff April 24 (Bloomberg) -- The prospective National Football League players being drafted this weekend are given a standardized test to measure general intelligence. They might not want to take it too seriously. In a months-long process of gauging everything physical about the players -- from their foot speed to catching ability to chest strength -- the test is the only leaguewide attempt to measure brainpower. In the end, it determines how well a player fits a profile more than how smart he is, said agent Brad Blank, whose clients include New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi and Washington Redskins quarterback Todd Collins. He helps clients raise their scores -- but only to a point, he says. Getting a perfect 50 might hurt more than scoring 20. ``If you score really high on the test, they say, `Well, this guy might be less coachable,''' Blank said in a telephone interview. ``If I see somebody score in the high 30s, I tell them, `You've got to get a few more wrong.''' All of the 330 or so college players invited to the league's annual scouting event take the 12-minute Wonderlic Personnel Test as they audition for jobs in the most-watched sport on U.S. television. Wonderlic Inc.'s 71-year-old test is used by about 7,000 companies to screen applicants for ``general intelligence,'' according to the closely held company's Web site. The NFL began using the test in the 1970s, following the lead of then-Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry. What Worries Teams High scores can earn players praise for being smart. Scores that are too high can brand them as problematic, said David Stevens, a developmental psychologist who has evaluated players for the Redskins, one of several teams that also use its own testing process. ``Teams are concerned with very low and very high scores,'' said Stevens, who designs educational software at Hanover, New Hampshire-based Symphony Learning, which makes educational software. ``They want guys that are coachable and do what they're told.'' The test was designed with such a spread in mind, said Bill Geheren, director of marketing for Libertyville, Illinois-based Wonderlic, a provider of human resources products and consulting. Psychologist Eldon Wonderlic developed the test in 1937. The U.S. Navy used it during World War II in selecting candidates for flight training. Offensive Linemen Wonderlic helps companies develop a score range for a given job, then find applicants who perform within those parameters, Geheren said. Scores range from 0 to 50, according to the company, and 20 matches the mean IQ score of 100. Offensive linemen average 26, the highest, followed by quarterbacks at 24. Running backs get the lowest, with 16. Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Eli Manning, the Giants quarterback, scored 39 on the test, according to CBSSportsline.com. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who set the record for touchdown passes in a season last year, tested at 33. There are better ways to measure a player's smarts, said Detroit Lions coach Rod Marinelli. ``I've been around a lot of guys now who really like football and maybe aren't the sharpest knife in the box, but they find a way to be smart because they like this so much and they're willing to work,'' Marinelli told reporters. Learning the Playbook Any coach or general manager who thinks high test scores make someone too smart for football is kidding himself, said Aaron Schatz, editor of the annual ``Pro Football Prospectus'' who also runs the statistics Web site FootballOutsiders.com. It's hard to memorize dozens of formations and the assignments that go with each of them. ``The biggest difference between guys who make it in the NFL and guys who wash out is intelligence,'' Schatz said. ``If you see a guy who's a first-round pick not make it, it's probably because he couldn't read the playbook.'' Chris Long, the University of Virginia player rated the draft's top defensive end by NFLdraftscout.com, who is the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame member Howie Long, said he found the test much easier than the College Board's SAT, used for college admissions. ``I thought it was cake compared to the SATs,'' Long said in an interview. ``For the most part it was just common-sense, think-on-your-feet type stuff.'' Sample Questions Sample questions posted on Wonderlic's Web site include: What is the next number in the series 29, 41, 53, 65, and 77? A: 75. B: 88. C: 89. D: 98. E: 99. (Answer: C.) Which three of the following words have similar meanings? A: observable. B: manifest. C: hypothetical. D: indefinite E: theoretical. (Answer: C, D, E.) Long tried to do as well as he could, he said. Combine officials don't release players' scores. Doing well is fine for quarterbacks and offensive lineman, who are supposed to score well, said Blank, the agent. He says he advises linebackers and other players who typically score lower not to exceed expectations. ``If we wanted to, we could really coach them and get the scores a lot higher,'' Blank said. ``If their score is in the teens, I'm going to get them into the 20s. If their score is in the 30s, I'm probably going to get them down a bit.'' --Editor: Michael Sillup, Robert Simison To contact the reporter on this story: Aaron Kuriloff in New York at +1-212-617-5697 or akuriloff@bloomberg.net. To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Sillup at +1-212-617-1262 or msillup@bloomberg.net. That just goes to show you how the NFL completely overanalyzes everything. Imagine too smart being a detrement. The next time an announcer says, "What they like about this kid is his football smarts," his partner better chime in with "Yeah, but he's not too smart." Sheesh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts