Worst Wonderlic scores in NFL scouting combine history
The Wonderlic test is administered to test players’ cognitive and decision-making skills at the NFL scouting combine.
The Wonderlic test was conceived in 1936 to measure a person’s general cognitive ability in the areas of vocabulary, reasoning, and math skills. It was first implemented in the NFL by Dallas Cowboys head coach Tom Landry in the 1970s, who saw the test as a useful tool in predicting player performance. Following his lead, the league added the Wonderlic to their pre-draft assessment procedures at the annual scouting combine for prospective players.
Since then, the test has had its share of advocates and detractors. There have been plenty of athletes who scored well and then flamed out in the NFL, just as there have been many who logged lower scores and went on to have great careers. Supporters of the Wonderlic are quick to point out that it is just a fraction of a larger examination, and that other combine tests like the bench press, the vertical jump, and the 40-yard dash are just as wide-ranging when predicting individual success at the pro level.
Nonetheless, the Wonderlic remains an interesting benchmark in the scouting combine routine, and it’s fun to examine some of the athletes who have posted particularly low scores and look at what they’ve since accomplished in the NFL.
QUARTERBACKS
While many of the Wonderlic’s highest all-time scores have come from quarterbacks, there have been just as many QBs over the years who have performed poorly on the aptitude test. Some of these players had predictably short careers in the pros, their tenures stained by ill-timed decisions resulting in a high number of interceptions, sacks, and three-and-out drives. Fascinatingly enough, though, there have been other quarterbacks with very low Wonderlic scores who went on to great individual success – some have even gone down as the greatest ever to play at their position.
Despite scoring just 16 out of 50 on his Wonderlic, Terry Bradshaw guided the Pittsburgh Steelers to four Super Bowl championships during his Hall of Fame career. He matched a powerful arm with an off-the-charts football IQ, and was renowned for calling his own plays at the line throughout his time in the NFL.
OTHER NOTABLE NAMES:
Dan Marino – 15
Donovan McNabb – 14
Jeff George – 10
Terrelle Pryor – 7
Vince Young – 6
NON-QB PLAYERS
Unfortunately for them, many of the Wonderlic’s lowest test scores usually come from players who aren’t lining up under center to take the snap. As a matter of fact, when it comes to position the four highest average scores belong to quarterbacks, offensive tackles, centers, and guards, while the four lowest average scores belong to halfbacks, fullbacks, wide receivers, and cornerbacks.
As these are often considered the “skill positions” in professional football, it should come as no surprise that a test measuring cognitive ability and intellectual reasoning isn’t considered nearly as important as physical intangibles like speed, size, and strength when it comes to evaluating raw prospects.
At age 32, Frank Gore is still rumbling through NFL defenses like he rumbled past naysayers who laughed at his abysmal Wonderlic performance. To be fair, Gore was diagnosed with dyslexia at an early age, which may in part explain his score of 6 on the test. His low mark hasn’t affected his success on the field one bit, however, as Gore has rushed for over 1,000 yards in eight of his 10 seasons as a pro.
OTHER NOTABLE NAMES:
Adrian Peterson – 16
A.J. Green – 10
Sebastian Janikowski – 9
Patrick Peterson – 9
Morris Claiborne – 4