Do you have the brains to play in the NFL?

By Paul Woody
MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE
Published: April 28, 2008

Football is a simple game. Players block, tackle and try to hit the other guy hard enough to separate him from the ball.
But the higher the level of football, the more complicated the game becomes.
In the NFL, offensive and defensive playbooks are several inches thick, and players are required to make major and minor adjustments in seconds.
NFL teams want to know how quickly their players learn and by what methods.
That’s one reason every college player who attends the NFL combine takes the Wonderlic Personnel Test.
The WPT consists of 50 questions and has a 12-minute time limit.
After years of writing about the Wonderlic, I decided to take it. Am I smart enough to play in the NFL? And if so, for what position am I best suited?
Bring it on, I said to the folks at Wonderlic.
Uh, no, they said. Wonderlic Inc. is reluctant to hand out copies of its tests. It did, however, send 10 sample questions. I made a printout, set the timer on my watch for 2½ minutes, and thought: “NFL, here I come.”
Which of the following is the earliest date:
A. Jan. 16, 1898; B. Feb. 21, 1889; C. Feb. 2, 1898; D. Jan. 7, 1898; E. Jan. 30, 1889?
NFL personnel say the Wonderlic is one tool used to evaluate players.
The most important thing about a player is his talent. Often, that trumps any test score or psychological evaluation.
LOW is to HIGH as EASY is to ------------ ?
J. SUCCESSFUL; K. PURE; L. TALL; M. INTERESTING; N. DIFFICULT
Wonderlic scores are not disclosed by NFL officials, but scores leak out. Often, you will see two Wonderlic scores for a player listed this way: 17/25.
The “17” is the score from the first Wonderlic test the player took, the “25” the second.
What is the next number in the series? 29, 41, 53, 65, 77,—?
J. 75; K. 88; L. 89; M. 98; N. 99
The conventional wisdom is that you can’t study for the Wonderlic.
But, trust me, you can prepare for it. There are sample Wonderlic tests on the Internet, and it is not difficult to discern a pattern to the questions.
And that is a great help when it is necessary to read several sentences quickly and make an immediate decision.
If the first two statements are true, is the final statement true?
Sandra is responsible for ordering all office supplies. Notebooks are office supplies. Sandra is responsible for ordering notebooks.
A. yes; B. no; C. uncertain
Generally, teams want quarterbacks who score at least between 25 and 30 on the Wonderlic, offensive linemen who score in the mid-20s and defensive players who score around 20.
Three years ago, three doctoral students in psychology did a study to see what correlation there was between Wonderlic scores and success in the NFL.
They concluded there is no correlation. The doctoral students looked at the Wonderlic scores, then checked to see whether the players were starting or playing a significant amount of time.
What the study did not take into account was how well the players performed.
Over the years, I’ve seen players drafted whose Wonderlic scores were reported as below average. My impression is that the Wonderlic can be an indication of how quickly a player will adapt to the NFL.
Jose’s monthly parking fee for April was $150; for May it was $10 more than April; and for June $40 more than May. His average monthly parking fee was ------------ for these 3 months.
J. $66; K. $160; L. $166; M. $170; N. $200
My Wonderlic score? First, let me say I actually answered nine of 10 correctly, but was a victim of timing on two of those answers.
Hmm. I sound like a coach.
I also think these 10 questions are not the hardest on the 50-question edition of the Wonderlic.
Officially, I had seven correct answers, the equivalent of a 35 on the 50-question test. I am qualified to play any position in the NFL.
I am limited only by my size, speed and age.
But hey, in terms of understanding and explaining why I missed so many tackles or fumbled so frequently, I’d be a go-to guy. And every NFL locker room needs a media go-to guy.
Contact Paul Woody at (804) 649-6444 or

Find more sample questions click here