Word around was that Vince Young the Texas quarterback got just 6 correct on the 50 question Wonderlic test for the NFL combine. Now they’re saying he took it again and got 16. Here from ESPN.com are 15 sample questions (with the answers at the bottom; it’s self-scoring).
NewMexiKen was 15 for 15 but suspects that most NFL teams would still prefer Vince Young.
A little background:
Each year, about 2.5 million job applicants, in every line of work, take the Wonderlic. The average NFL combiner scores about the same as the average applicant for any other job, a 21 [of 50]. A 20 indicates the test-taker has an IQ of 100, which is average. (ESPN.com)
10 of 50 is considered literacy.
To be fair, the article says that the players only have 12 minutes to take the test. So, to replicate the situation, one must complete the 15 sample questions in about three-and-a-half minutes, or in 15 seconds each. Still seems easy, but the time restriction does make it a bit more interesting.
Perhaps something more indicative of this case is that sports managment companies typically spend a lot of time with their young clients aiming for pro careers in prepping them for just this type of thing. Top pro prospects heading for the draft have generally been given this very test as many times as needed to get as high a score as they can potentially get prior to the one time when it counts.
What this incident says about Vince Young is that he has hired an agent who doesn’t seem to know what’s going on. Young had also indicated previously he did not wish to be involved in any of the football skills tests generally held at the combine.
His stock as a pro prospect has been diminished by all of this. Make no mistake, he’ll draft high but many teams are leary of placing the future of their franchises in his hands.