Baker Mayfield's score on NFL IQ test is raising eyebrows
For many years, the NFL has used the Wonderlic test to determine just how smart draft prospects really are.
Well, there’s a new exam, the Athletic Intelligence Quotient, and it’s revealing what some people will no doubt call shocking results.
Drs. Scott Goldman and Jim Bowman have spent the past 15 years refining the test, which is designed to “improve upon the methodology of the Wonderlic test,” according to Sports Illustrated.
The test has been taken roughly 4,000 times by athletes from each of the major American sports leagues, and in 2012, it started being administered at the NFL combine.
Results are tightly protected, as two teams exclusively subscribe to the entire report (others use portions of it), but it’s believed that this year’s highest score — at least among quarterbacks — came from Oklahoma’s combustible quarterback, Baker Mayfield.
Based on some of Mayfield’s decisions, both on the field and off of it, teams have expressed concern about handing the keys of the franchise over to the Heisman Trophy winner.
But Goldman — while not referencing Mayfield specifically — told Sports Illustrated that this year, there was a quarterback prospect with some undoubtedly impressive results.
“Goldman declined to confirm the performance of specific players, but did acknowledge a QB prospect this year scored in the Top 100 on the AIQ all-time — out of more than 4,000 tests — and is the second-highest scoring quarterback out of 63 who have taken the test since 2012,” the magazine reported.
“Two league sources, who asked for anonymity to discuss the testing results of a prospect, confirmed it was Mayfield.”
Of course, just because Mayfield — or any other prospect for that matter — did well on this one test, it doesn’t mean he will be successful in the NFL.
“It’s just one piece of data,” Goldman said. “If an athlete does really well, that’s great. If they don’t, that’s great too, because now you have the information.”
At the same time, Goldman noted that there does seem to be a positive correlation between good test results and performance on the field.
“I’m proud of this,” Goldman said. “We’ve found a statistically-significant correlation between our test and on-field performance, and this is the first test I’m aware of that has found that in the NFL. Players with a high AIQ tend to get on the field sooner and stay on the field longer.”
Of course, as seen in the past with the Wonderlic test, some players will do poorly and then go on to do great things on the field, like Frank Gore and Darrelle Revis.
And of course, the opposite is also true, as first-round washouts Mike Mamula and Blaine Gabbert aced the test.
The point is that whatever the numbers say, the results that matter are on the field.
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