Vince Young and the Wonderlic: 6 or 16?
To be blunt about it, I think the entire Wonderlic test score affair has been a fiasco that has been blown waaaaay out of proportion – and by the way, I don’t care if Young got a zero on the test. The young man can flat out play the game of football.
I find it hard to believe that a player who proved his mettle on the biggest stage in collegiate football – and was being projected as a top-three pick, after his amazing performance in the Rose Bowl is now coming under more scrutiny than almost any other high-profile collegiate quarterback to be drafted in the last two decades.
What’s even more perplexing is the fact that everyone, meaning NFL scouts and other player personnel members, not to mention some of my brethren, are now looking to expose any chink in Vince Young’s armor that they can. Whether it’s the Wonderlic test score, or his supposed, unconventional throwing motion, Young’s game is being picked apart now by every moron with a computer and some free time.
I won’t even begin to speculate whether race is an issue in all of this, but the insane amount of media coverage concerning Young’s test score is unlike anything I’ve ever seen – especially for a guy who just led his team to a national championship and is generally viewed as a model citizen off the field.
The NFL has taken its annual combine to dizzying new heights and nearly every team in the league is guilty of over-examining almost every prospect that shows up for the yearly meat market.
The thing that bothers me most about the entire Young situation is the fact that many other quarterbacks who haven’t achieved half of what Young has accomplished in college have not had to face this type of scrutiny.
Besides, it’s not like the Wonderlic test is a sure-fire way to predict how a player will perform in the NFL. Do I have to mention guys like Ryan Leaf, Akili Smith, and Heath Shuler? Do I also have to mention that Tom Brady was a sixth-round pick?
Okay then, I won’t. However, I will say that Vince Young should be treated like every other quarterback prospect. Besides, if the scouts and other NFL personnel members who make the annual trek to the combine really want to know how smart Young is, all they have to do is ask some of the USC defensive players who were on the field against Young during the Rose Bowl. I know the players Young will face in the NFL are bigger, faster and stronger than his counterparts in college, but I believe that Young will be able to make the transition to the NFL just fine. Sure, I could be wrong. Young could flame out faster than any of the aforementioned quarterbacks. Then again, he could become the greatest thing since sliced bread. Whatever the case – and I choose the latter – it’s going to be an interesting ride watching Young’s growth as a pro player. How about if we all just sit back and enjoy the ride?
