Man, I gotta tell you about this rabbit hole I fell into the other day. It all started with me wondering about those Wonderlic tests they give to NFL prospects. You know, the ones that are supposed to measure their smarts? I always thought it was kind of weird to put so much stock in a test, but I was curious about who aced it.
So, I started digging around, and let me tell you, the things I found! First off, this test, it’s called the Wonderlic Personnel Test, and it’s supposed to measure your general smarts and ability to succeed in a job. They say it helps figure out if you can follow instructions, learn, adapt, solve problems, and handle the mental side of things. They make it sound super important, right?
Well, I went hunting for the best scores ever, and one name popped up immediately: Pat McInally. This guy was a punter back in 1975, and get this – he scored a perfect 50 out of 50! A perfect score! I mean, I struggled just to read some of the sample questions online, and this dude aced the whole thing. Apparently, he’s the only one in NFL history to ever get a perfect score. They say he went to Harvard and played for 10 years. What a legend!
But it’s not just McInally. I found this list of the top 11 scores in the history of the NFL Scouting Combine, and the numbers are insane. There was this other guy named Ryan Fitzpatrick who scored a 48 out of 50. He played quarterback for a bunch of teams and apparently has an IQ of like 150. That’s some serious brainpower. Then there were other players with 46’s and 45’s. Some of these guys were quarterbacks, some were wide receivers, some were even linemen. It just goes to show that smarts can come in all shapes and sizes on the football field.
Now, I know some people say the Wonderlic isn’t everything, and they’re probably right. After all, there are other tests at the combine, like the bench press and the vertical jump, that measure physical abilities. And let’s be honest, being good at a test doesn’t automatically make you a great football player. There’s so much more to the game than just raw intelligence. But these scores got me thinking about how some of these guys who did really well on the test, also did really well on the field.
I kept searching, and I found this huge list of over 400 NFL players’ Wonderlic scores. You could sort it by player, by team, everything! It was kind of addictive, seeing how different players stacked up. I even looked up some of my favorite players to see how they did. You can see the scores of your favorite player!
Anyway, my whole point is, this Wonderlic stuff is way more interesting than I thought. It’s not just some random test; it’s a little window into the minds of these athletes. And while it’s definitely not the only thing that matters, it’s cool to see how some of the smartest guys in the league also happen to be some of the best players. It makes you wonder, maybe there’s something to this whole “brains and brawn” thing after all. What a day!
- Pat McInally: 50 (the only perfect score!)
- Some other dudes with scores in the 40s and high 30s
Top 11 Wonderlic Scores in NFL Combine History (that I found)
I spent hours on this, and I still don’t know what to think. Is the Wonderlic a good predictor of NFL success? Maybe, maybe not. But it’s definitely a fun thing to explore. And hey, it gave me a whole new appreciation for those guys who can not only crush it on the field but also crush it in the classroom. They’re like the ultimate student-athletes. I’m still looking into this, and maybe I’ll find more crazy stories. If I do, I’ll definitely share them. You never know what you’ll find when you start digging around in the world of football!
