Wonderlic test - predictor of success in NFL, or bogus science?

The Game Room
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This may belong in IMHO, so if it does, may I ask a mod to just move it? I think it will get more play here because it is sports related, but I’ll abide by the ruling of the court.

Anyway, does anyone have a strong feeling one way or the other about the Wonderlic as a predictor of future success at the next level in the NFL?

I have taken a sample test, and granted, I was not taking it under the pressure of the NFL having my score (or the rest of the world), I scored perfect, Ann the time allotted. This is NOT a hard test, folks. The only mistakes someone of above average intelligence would make are speed errors. But even an average person should be able to do pretty well on the test. I’m not bragging, in fact I expect many dopers will cruise through the test. And the vast majority will score in the 90%, I believe. The only thing that might throw you is if your phone rings, a child calls you, or somehow your train of thought is broken. Otherwise, you will do fine. I would be astonished if anyone scored in the single digits.

Here is a sample test.. There are a few of the, out there, so try your luck. I’m guessing NO ONE scores less than 10. For reference, Vince Young scored a 6.

I remember when Young’s score came out, and how the test was hammered for cultural bias, but I just don’t see it. Anyone going to a college or university, even if they don’t graduate, should be able to get half of the questions right. The math isn’t complicated, and reading for comprehension isn’t a major issue either.

My feelings on the test? I think it is an excellent indicator of base intelligence. If Vince Young only got a 6, he either is very limited intellectually, can’t read, or a combination of learning disabilities and issues. I remember hearing Vince Young being interviewed, and I thought he wasn’t very bright.

Yes, Young was ROTY on offense, and he won a number of games for the Titans, but I believe his athleticism won more of those games than his ability to read a defense and deliver a strike downfield. And I think that’s why his career faltered. QB is not an easy position to play at the pro level, and if he can’t pick up the system, he is not going to have a prayer long term.

Other positions are not as reliant on smarts as others, so I wouldn’t get into a twist if a defensive lineman, punter, or DB didn’t score so high. But for positions where you have to understand the game at a deeper level, and understand a playbook, I think it does indicate the ability to think under pressure.

Your thoughts?

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The real Wonderlic test has 50 questions in 12 minutes. That sample test has questions that are similar to ones on the real test, but those are examples of the easiest ones. The questions get a lot harder than those, and having to complete one every 14 seconds makes it that much harder.

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Can you point me to examples of questions that are “much harder”?

I don’t think getting a high scoreon the wonderlic guarantees a great career in the NFL either, but I think the test does separate the deadheads from the guys with an ability to think. If you score a 6, you are doing pretty bad. You could probably get a better score just by selecting “a” through the entire test.

I believe Bills QB Fitzpatrick scored a perfect 50 out of 50, so I think it’s easy to see that success isn’t guaranteed. (The guy went to Harvard too, I beliee). However, he has the ability to learn a system and will probably be a backup for the next decade (assuming he doesn’t get another chance to start).

I think guys like Young, Vick, Russell, and others, who are great raw athletes who can do it all froma physical POV, can never turn the corner and make it when they start to slow down because of age and injuries.

I do t know if there is a record of all wonderlic scores, but if you remember Dexter Manley, he graduated college and couldn’t read, so my guess is he did poorly. He had a decent career, however, because he was on the defensive side of the ball, and was required to tackle and rush the QB. he didn’t have to remember multiple blocking schemes, or special plays like an O-lineman would.

I’d be curious to see these scores over time and their relationship to each position on the field. They must have some value, or the NFL would stop giving the test.

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