Wondering where the Wonderlic went?
The NFL Combine kicked off on March 1, and while the 40-yard dash, the three-cone drill and the entire cavalcade of tests and exercises remain, there’s one big omission from this year’s combine.
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The Wonderlic test, an aptitude exam administered to NFL draft prospects which has gained infamy over the years, is no longer going to be given at the NFL Combine starting in 2022.
The NFL is reportedly moving on from allowing the Wonderlic test starting this year, per reports, as well as certain new guidelines on the way teams conduct interviews with prospects.
Here’s what’s new:
Why did the NFL eliminate the Wonderlic test?
While there’s been no official statement from the league on the removal of the test, many viewed the exam as incongruous and irrelevant to the future success of players in the league.
Teams supposedly used the 50-question aptitude test to measure the cognitive ability of prospects. Obviously, though, there has been no outright correlation between Wonderlic scores and the abilities of players.
The origin of the test’s inclusion in the NFL is ambiguous: Either Paul Brown in the 1960s or Tom Landry in the 1970s introduced the test to the league. The scouting combine has existed in its current form since the 1980s.
NFL Combine pre-draft interview changes
The NFL has also made some changes to the pre-draft interview process that should curb the salacious and inappropriate questions that have gained infamy and ruffled feathers of players through the years.
The Associated Press reports that should NFL front office members are found displaying conduct that is “disrespectful, inappropriate, or unprofessional” during the interview process, the team could lose a draft selection — anywhere between the first and fourth round — as well as incurring a $150,000 fine.
In addition to that, staffers found in violation of the league’s new guidelines for interviewing could earn suspensions.
In years past, certain questions regarding a player’s background have surfaced which have, to say the least, strayed from the spirit of interviews.
Infamously, the Dolphins reportedly asked Dez Bryant whether or not his mother was a prostitute.
One thing is certain: The NFL Combine is weird.