Not Much More Than g? An Examination of the Impact of Intelligence on NFL Performance

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficiency and equity of general mental ability (GMA) in a nontraditional employment setting—professional football. The National Football League (NFL) uses a measure of GMA, the Wonderlic Personnel Test, to evaluate potential draftees in an assessment-style environment. A total of 762 NFL players, represented from three draft classes, were included in our sample. In terms of efficiency, results indicated that GMA was unrelated to (a) future NFL performance, (b) selection decisions during the NFL Draft, and (c) the number of games started in the NFL. In regards to equity, differential prediction analyses by race suggested only the existence of intercept bias. The implications of these findings to the NFL and the selection literature are further discussed.

Notes

^† p < .10.

*p < .05.

**p < .01.

^† p < .10.

*p < .05.

**p < .01.

^†p < .10.

*p < .05.

*p < .05.

**p < .01.

¹We thank an anonymous reviewer for this suggestion.

²We thank an anonymous reviewer for this suggestion.

^aRating produces a value that estimates a quarterback's efficiency.

^bFumbles were negatively coded for all positions.

^cInterceptions were negatively coded for quarterbacks.