Impact Wonderlic

March Madness is in full swing, but it was not to long ago when the gaze of sports fan was on college football...fans focused their eyes especially on Texas versus USC in the Rose Bowl.

Vince Young was widely considered the hero of the bowl game. In an improbable victory over the heavily favored Trojans, Young dazzled spectators with 200 rushing yards (3 rushing TD's), while adding 267 yards passing, completing 30 of 40 passes.

Days following the game Vince Young was penciled in as not only a certain first round draft pick, but as a number one draft pick.

A funny thing happen to Young on the way to being crowned the King of the Draft. Young flunked the Wonderlic Test. His original score was a 6, and on the second try, a 15.

Now Young is floundering among reports that he is no longer considered a top tier quarterback. Jim Trotter of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports

Instead of still being viewed as a likely top-five pick in next month's draft, Young slipped to the middle of the first round in the eyes of some scouts and executives. It didn't matter that he won 30 of his 32 starts at Texas, including all 13 in leading the Longhorns to the national championship last season. It made no difference that he turned in arguably the greatest performance by a quarterback in title-game history...

Trotter goes on to say that although the Wonderlic score may be discouraging, it should not be the main factor in determining the aptitude of a quarterbacks ability.

History would suggest otherwise. Wonderlic scores for NFL Quarterbacks are reported through a UNC website.

A reasonable score is considered anything above 25.

Here are some standout scores:
Ben Roethlisberger - 25
Carson Palmer - 26
Drew Brees - 28
Tom Brady- 33
Peyton Manning - 28
Matt Hasselbeck - 29
Drew Bledsoe - 36
Troy Aikman - 29
Rich Gannon - 27
Steve Young - 33

Granted most of these scores are not spectacular, but they are above the average. These quarterbacks have proven to be succesful and have remained healthy because of great in-game decision making. In a game that has become increasingly more intricate, coaches rely more on players with intellectual capacity, as well as quick decesion making along with exceptional athleticism.

Here are some of the lower scores:
Terry Bradshaw - 15
Dan Marino - 15
Randal Cunningham - 15
Jeff George - 10
Neil O'Donnell - 13
Heath Shuler - 16
Charlie Batch - 13.5
Aaron Brooks - 17
Donovan McNabb - 14
Michael Vick - 20
Daunte Culpepper - 18

These low scores are indicitave of the type of play these quarterbacks display. There are the few exceptions, such as Dan Marino, and Terry Bradshaw (although good luck playing Mike Martz offensive scheme Mr. Bradshaw). Everyone else fits the mold of a seemingly gifted quarterback but a defunct decision process. Most of these quarterbacks repeatly end up causing turnovers, or getting injured due to thoughtless playmaking.

Yes, Vince Young's low scores do matter. If a team is going to dole out millions of dollars to a first round draft pick they better be sure he will guide them with the intellect that is needed in today's NFL. Look for both Matt Leinart (35) and Jay Cutler (26) to be drafted ahead of Young.