Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy got one B in college. He was a Rhodes scholarship finalist. He stepped right from the football field to being a composed analyst for ESPN. He’s a smart kid. Not surprisingly, his reported Wonderlic score reflects that. He got an almost perfect 48/50. Some are portraying this as a possible red flag.

Mike Florio wrote the following.

Scoring too high can be as much of a problem as scoring too low.  Football coaches want to command the locker room. Being smarter than the individual players makes that easier. Having a guy in the locker room who may be smarter than every member of the coaching staff can be viewed as a problem — or at a minimum as a threat to the egos of the men who hope to be able when necessary to outsmart the players, especially when trying in some way to manipulate them.

So while McElroy, who was unable to work out due to injury, may be really smart, he perhaps would have been wise to tank a few of the answers.

This is “Combine Analysis.” Reduce the individual to a distinct measurable – a largely meaningless one – and ignore all prior evidence. Slot kid into appropriate stereotype. How would Greg McElroy handle playing for an egotistical and domineering NFL-style head coach? He played for Nick Saban and won a national title.

I’ve never met Greg McElroy. I’ve only seen him interviewed on TV, but he seems like the last guy who would be “a clubhouse lawyer” or “challenge authority.” If Florio’s claims have truth, McElroy should pursue a profession where his gifts would be appreciated.

[Photo via Getty]