Jameis Winston scores a 27 on the Wonderlic test
Florida State’s Jameis Winston recorded an impressive score on the Wonderlic test, but using the test as a measurement for future success is still incredibly irresponsible.
Every year it seems like the NFL‘s Wonderlic test generates headlines, sometimes irresponsible ones, that use the exam as a benchmark for gauging a player’s personal and football intelligence. While there is no question that Jameis Winston’s physical talent and on-field performance has led to him being almost unanimously projected as the top pick in the draft, off the field issues and questions about his intelligence and maturity have generated a negative perception of the former Heisman winner.
This week, the much maligned Florida State quarterback helped to silence some of the critics of his mental makeup with a respectable Wonderlic score of 27, something that should not surprise anyone who looks past the surface on Winston’s past. He may never be the brightest player on the field, and he undoubtedly has character concerns, but the common notion that he is a dumb player is simply ignorant, proven by his on-field and in-class performance dating back to his high school days.
Lots of folks seem to be surprised Jameis Winston got a good Wonderlic score. They do know he got accepted to Stanford out of HS, right?
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) April 15, 2015
Generally, I hate using the Wonderlic test as any indicator of how successful a player will be. Sure, there have been incredibly high scores in the past that might have indicated a career filled with NFL success. Current premier quarterbacks who dominated the test include Andrew Luck, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady, who, respectively, posted scores of 37, 35 and 33.
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But for every Luck, Rodgers and Brady, there is Ryan Fitzpatrick, Blaine Gabbert and Greg McElroy. The later three actually tested better than the aforementioned elite quarterbacks, and not a single one of them has attained much NFL success, if any at all.
Fitzpatrick has been by far the most successful of the bunch, an NFL journeyman who is currently slated to hold the clipboard for the underwhelming Geno Smith of the New York Jets. Gabbert is currently a backup in San Fransisco, and as a former top 10 pick, already the epitome of an NFL Draft bust just four years into his career. McElroy decided to ditch the pro game completely to take an analyst position with the SEC Network, a wise career choice for the former University of Alabama great.
The bottom line, teams need to stop looking at the Wonderlic test as a realistic indicator of a player’s ability and potential. That being said, Winston does find himself in good company with his score. After all, Super Bowl winners Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson scored only one point higher when they took the exam.
If Winston can even come close to emulating the success of those three, he should be primed for a very long and successful NFL career.
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