[Ksyrup]

I wasn't sure whether to put this in the "are you smarter than a 5th grader?" thread or here, but I guess it belongs here. Keep in mind that this is from an FSU blog, which is why it's a more entertaining read than the subject otherwise deserves, but the general news is still relevant to the draft:


Chris Leak- dumber than a shovel?


For those of you unfamiliar with the yearly cattle call known as the NFL Draft combine, allow me to impart some knowledge before telling you just how dumb former Gator quarterback Chris Leak might actually be.

The Wonderlic test is a short exam used to assess a person's problem-solving abilities and general fitness for any number of jobs. Since the 1970s it has been featured prominently at the combine as a quick and easy way to gauge the intelligence of players. It isn't an IQ test or the SAT, and only takes 12 minutes to complete but also can give an indication as to the intellectual horsepower of the 20-something year old young man your football team is going to invest millions of dollars in. Consequently the Wonderlic does carry some weight with some organizations in the NFL. If you would like to convert your Wonderlic score to an IQ estimate, there is a rough equation for this: IQ = 2W + 60, where W is your Wonderlic score. Seems simple enough right? For perspective, the average high school student scores a 27 on the Wonderlic, while most NFL QB prospects rack up a 24.

Now that you're an expert on the intricacies of intelligence testing among the verbose and gifted young men at the NFL Draft combine, let's turn to the subject at hand: one Chris Leak, quarterback, University of Florida. You may remember him as the hero of the Gators' run to the national championship, when he wasn't dodging hate mail from Bull Gators about not being good enough to hold Tim Tebow's garter belt. Chris' time in blue and orange is over for now (ruling out any possible stays in the correctional systems) and like so many young Gators he's trying to escape the sucking vortex of Gainesville as rapidly as possible. In order to do so he's working out for NFL teams in preparation for the NFL Draft. Good for him. There is only one problem with Chris' pro football ambition: he might be too dumb to distinguish a football from his former offensive coordinator, Dan Mullen's head. (which is large and oddly shaped, apropos of nothing) It seems that Leak had a rough time when he tangled with the feared Wonderlic test at the combine over the weekend. He may, in fact, have been talked out of completing the test by his pencil. Whatever the case, when the carnage was done, Chris left plenty to be desired in the testing department.

He scored an 8. Substantiated here. And here. 8. Most Gators have more pairs of jean shorts than that, and at least as many John Deere hats.

That's right, his uniform number is higher than his Wonderlic score. Congratulations son, you are just barely smart enough to be legally eligible for capital punishment. According to our rough formula, you have an IQ of 76. Now, I know this doesn't mean that Chris won't be a successful NFL quarterback, (his lack of pocket presence, nightmares about pass rushers, bed-wetting and diminutive size should hurt him more than being unable to answer simple test questions) but I'm concerned.
Does this mean that UF is not the bastion of higher education we've been led to believe it is? Could it be that Gator athletes such as Joakim Noah and Marcus Thomas are in fact the true intelligentsia around Gainesville?

They had such high hopes for you Chris, but perhaps Brock Berlin and Doug Johnson will save a seat for you in the Pantheon of Forgettable Gator Quarterbacks. Or, maybe one day you'll just wander into a greyhound track and see if they'll let you race alongside some intellectual peers. Whatever the case, I miss you already Chris. Tebow's vacant gaze has nothing on your smiley face that seems to say "I can't figure out how they get the peanut butter into the jar."