When you think of the skills needed to be a superstar in the NFL most people would say speed, agility, leadership and strength, but there is another factor that wouldn't cross most peoples' minds – smarts. The stereotype that professional football players are giant, hulking meat heads that don't use their brains couldn't be further from the truth. Football is all about strategy and problem solving and to measure those qualities the NFL uses an exam. During the Scouting Combine prospective players are administered the Wonderlic Test, a standardized questionnaire measuring a player's problem solving skills and their ability to learn. For some the test is a breeze, but for others it is a dreaded nightmare.

The test itself is fifty multiple choice questions that get more difficult as the test progresses. The questions require test takers to use basic algebra, geometry, logic and linguistic skills, and although the exam is only twelve minutes long it can feel like an eternity for some. Hines Ward, wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, has admitted in interviews that the Wonderlic felt like it took so long that he fell asleep while the test was being administered. The NFL knows the exam isn't for everyone, but it serves an important function: it allows teams to assess a prospective player's problem solving skills on paper, which can give insight into their problem solving skills on the field. Matt Hassleback said it best, "In football you have to make quick decisions and the Wonderlic is all about quick decisions."

Even though the Wonderlic test is administered to every prospective NFL draftee, it is not the be-all end-all decision maker for teams. Dick Jauron, head coach of the Buffalo Bills, thinks the test is useful, but he makes draft decisions on much more than just a player's Wonderlic score. "I've seen players with low scores be tremendous players, I've seen players with high scores not being able to function at all... it's just another tool," he says. NFL teams use it as an aptitude predictor rather than a qualifier. NFL players generally want to shoot for an average to slightly above average score. In the past, players with nearly perfect Wonderlic results have slid down in the draft because it's believed their extremely high intelligence could make them harder to coach. Although scores of the Wonderlic are not publically available, some of the greatest players in the game have received some pretty dismal scores.

Sports Illustrated writer Paul Zimmerman compiled a list of average scores for various positions on the field. Surprisingly, offensive tackles average the highest at 26, then centers at 25. Although quarter backs average around 24, it is widely believed that a QB needs at least a score of 21 to effectively lead a team. Receivers, backs and safeties all average in the high teens, with halfbacks averaging the lowest of the low at 16. To give you an idea how other professions average Wonderlic scores stack up against NFL players, clerical workers and data entry professionals average around 21, banker tellers usually 22, sales professionals are around a 24. More analytical and specialized professionals like computer programmers and chemists tend to score around the low 30s.

The NFL requires the Wonderlic test for all would be draftees to establish a baseline of intelligence. Like any employer, the NFL needs to know the intellectual caliber of their players, and the standardization that the Wonderlic provides makes it the best exam for the job.

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