The dumbest player in NFL history?

[KamaAina]

It could be LSU draft prospect Morris Claiborne.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/lsu-morris-claiborne-scored-four-wonderlic-test-175829326.html

Former LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne, a likely top-five pick in this month's NFL draft, scored a four on his Wonderlic intelligence test at the NFL combine.

That's four. Zero-four. Four out of 50. Usually those two numbers bring to mind Tim Tebow's passing stats or the Oakland Raiders won-loss record, not a score on a test where a mark of 10 is considered literate.

Claiborne's four ties the lowest reported score in draft history. The NFL average is 21. The public average is 24. Vince Young, the most popular failed Wonderlic test-taker in NFL history, scored a six. Terry Bradshaw, a guy who "couldn't spell 'cat' even if you spotted him a 'ca'" got a 13....

At times like this, it's important to remember the immortal words of Joe Thiesmann. "Nobody in the game of football should be called a genius," the former Washington Redskins quarterback once said. "A genius is somebody like Norman Einstein."





Maybe his team will give him jersey No. 4.

edit: I scarcely need to add that this is in college. Yeah, yeah, blah blah blah SEC. But the fact remains, he's in college.

[Auggie]

1. Hey, LSU. I'm talking to you, douchebags ...

It's sad beyond belief that a university can graduate an athlete with such a challenged aptitude. If Claiborne has a disibility that's another thing, but I'm guessing that's not the case. Epic fail LSU. Fuck you, your athletic department, and your football team's coaching staff -- you let Morris Claiborne down big time. For his sake, I hope he has a long, lucrative, and injury-free playing career.

[KamaAina]

2. I was going to hold off on the LSU-bashing

what with my New Orleans background and all.

Firstly, I doubt VERY much that he's graduating! Secondly, the problem is hardly confined to Baton Rouge; Vince Young of Texas scored a paltry 6 of 50 on the same test. And he's a quarterback.

[Auggie]

3. Good point on the graduation

There isn't mention of that.

It's still fucked up.

[hughee99]

4. Apparently he is smart enough to understand what he needs to know for football.

I think it's great that a person of limited intellectual stature can still find a good paying job. He seems to be smart enough to figure out what he's good at and how to make a good living doing it, a lot of "smart" people never figure that out.

Doesn't necessarily say much about LSU's academic standards though.

[JonLP24]

5. It doesn't say anything (to me)

No information about what his GPA was for classes, GPA for high school, and what he scored on entrance exams.

[hughee99]

10. It must raise more questions than it would if he got a 20, though. n/t

[Upton]

6. Claiborne has a learning disabilty..

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/What-you-should-know-about-Claibornes-test-score.html

[KamaAina]

7. Tests such as the SAT and ACT can be given with accommodations

such as extra test-taking time, to accommodate test-takers with learning (and other) disabilities.

Would've been a good idea here. Now I'm thinking back to perhaps the most famous of all athletes with learning disabilities, Patrick Ewing, who spent his career going into opposing gyms where classy fans had signs reading "EWING KANT READ DIS" and the like.

edit: Also would've been nice if Yahoo! had reported that, rather than holding him up as another stereotypical dumb jock from an SEC school.

[hughee99]

9. I don't think they can really do that for the wonderlich in the NFL,

since regardless of learning disabilities, he'd have to be held to the same standard as everyone else. If you want to get an accurate assessment of player vs. player in this area, to decide who to draft, the learning disability can't really be taken into account.

[KamaAina]

13. Interesting. NFL teams are employers and as such are covered by Title I of the ADA.

Any such case would hinge on whether being able to take the Wonderlic without accommodation is a "bona fide occupational requirement" (e.g. a truck driver being able to see).

[hughee99]

14. That would be an interseting court case

since these sort of tests are done to evaluate a player, but are not necessarily an occupational requirement.

[KamaAina]

15. True, but if he could show he was denied employment because of the test

or even drafted lower (i.e. at a lower salary), he might have a case.

[hughee99]

16. I'm not sure,

while performing poorly on the test may hurt his draft situation, the NFL would argue that mental aptitude is a component to determining whether a player can handle the "mental aspects" of the professional football, and that while allowance could be made in the evaluation process, similar allowances could not be made during the performance of their job (on the field), and that if a player required additional time in their off-the-field duties (learning playbooks, film room, etc...) then those factors should be considered when drafting a player. They could also argue that the Wonderlic test only reflected an impression they got from the player in a personal interview, and it would be hard to demonstrate that the Wonderlic score alone was responsible.

In the end, I don't think the courts would touch this with a 10 foot pole, and I don't think his score will affect his draft status either.

I've read a couple of things on this lately where it was suggested that high Wonderlic scores can hurt one's draft status, though they wouldn't have an ADA argument on that.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Greg-McElroy-almost-aced-the-Wonderlic-Is-he-to?urn=ncaaf-327510

[KamaAina]

17. Believe it or not, the New London (CT) police department refuses to hire people with "too high" IQ

I've read a couple of things on this lately where it was suggested that high Wonderlic scores can hurt one's draft status, though they wouldn't have an ADA argument on that.

[hughee99]

18. I think I remember something about this a while ago.

I could see a discrimination lawsuit, but you'd have a hard time arguing that being "too smart" is a disability (unless you're running in the republican primary).

[JonLP24]

19. You watching the Celts make a run at a comeback?

Sorry for the off-topic post but I'm box score watching San Antonio and Boston and they narrowed the deficit to 1 after trailing for most of the game. They held SA to 9 3rd quarter points. This is a game I'd be interesting in watching to see what changed.

[hughee99]

20. Unfortunately, I'm stuck working for now, but I'm following it online.

What I'm doing now consists of 10 minutes of work, 10 minutes of down-time off, so I'm just following it online. Not nearly as exciting like that. I have 4 tabs going, the Celtics, the Cards-Marlins, the DU and (unfortunately) work.

[rocktivity]

21. DUzy candidate!

rocktivity

[rocktivity]

22. DUZY ACCOMPLISHED!!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002527272


rocktivity

[hughee99]

23. Sweet!!!

I think this might be my first.

[Auggie]

11. Thanks for the info

My disdain for LSU academics is in error.

[Kingofalldems]

8. Dexter Manley could not read after leaving OK. State

Don't know if he graduated.

[trotsky]

12. A good read on the Wonderlic and its association with success in the NFL...

(at least when it comes to QBs):

http://www.duke.edu/~mat28/cps004/wonder.html

The association, for those who skip the link, is basically nil.

[Jamaal510]

24. This guy:

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[hifiguy]

25. Hard to disagree with that pick.

A bust of galactic proportions, right up there with Ryan Leaf.

[Auggie]

26. Don't know about dumb, but he's a substance abuser for sure

[Jack Rabbit]

27. OK, He's in an SEC college

If you can read the playbook, you pass.