Wonderlicin' Good

With the news that Vince Young scored a six (out of fifty) on the Wonderlic test (possibly an all time low not just for a quarterback but for any college player), I figured I would take a closer look at the little known intelligence test which affects the draft positions of so many players.

While the Wonderlic test is used by many other companies, the test has become associated with the NFL. Prospective players have 12 minutes to answer 50 questions which (much like an SAT) get progressively harder. You can find sample questions here. The average NFL test score is 19, while the rest of America averages a 21 on the Wonderlic.

Obviously, coaches and GMs are not going to draft a player soley based on their Wonderlic score. It's but one small measurement of a football player's aptitude. But what it does measure is a player's ability to digest and learn new offensive plays and defensive schemes. As a result quarterback's scores are weighed more heavily than the scores of other position players.

One more thing to note before I list some of the Bucs players' results, players often take the test multiple times to improve their score. For example Cadillac Williams took the test before the combine and scored a 11 (which is fairly mediocre). Cadillac then took the test again a few months later and doubled his score to get a 22. While it's impossible to tell if these kind of significant increases in results are due to the player being more comfortable with the test or possibly by cheating on the Wonderlic, either way agents are now expected to prepare their clients for the test.

• Carnell Williams . . . . . . . . 11, 22
• Alex Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
• Larry Brackins . . . . . . . . . . 17
• Paris Warren . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 17
• Dan Buenning . . . . . . . . . . . 29, 32
• Anthony Bryant . . . . . . . . . 15, 14
• Barrett Ruud . . . . . . . . . . . 35
• Will Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
• Michael Clayton . . . . . . . . . 19
• Chris Simms . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
• Brian Griese . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

You can find more Wonderlic scores here and here. (Note, none of these scores are official, instead they are often leaked by NFL scouts.)

UPDATE #1: After some additional research, I've discovered that the Bucs were tied for third (with the Titans) last season in highest average Wonderlic scores (with a score of 23.2). Leading the pack were the Patriots with an average of 24.6, followed by the Raiders (23.3).

Want a hint on who the Bucs will draft with their first pick? GM Bruce Allen favors intelligent offensive lineman. From a Wall Street Journal article written by Sam Walker four weeks into the 2005 season:

"[I]f you're wondering why Tampa Bay is second in the NFL in rushing yards, here's a possible explanation: The average test mark for the offensive line is a 30 and for guards a 34, which is four points higher than a typical attorney's score. 'I'm not surprised,' says Buccaneers general manager Bruce Allen. 'I trust my guards more than most attorneys.' "

UPDATE #2: The Houston Chronicle is now reporting that the rumors that Vince Young scored a six on the Wonderlic are false. Young most likely had a score closer to 16.