As if Tim Tebow needed something else to hurt his draft stock. From the Palm Beach Post;

Tebow scored slightly below average for an NFL quarterback on the Wonderlic test, a 12-minute, 50-question exam given at the Combine that assesses a person's learning and problem-solving abilities.

Tebow scored a 22 out of 50 on the Wonderlic test, an NFL source told the Post Wednesday. The score falls slightly below the average score for an NFL quarterback, which is 24. But the average for 30 quarterbacks slated to start in 2010 is even higher, at 28.5. And the average score among the past seven Super Bowl winners is a 30.1. 

There could be several reasons for scoring 22 out of 50. Tebow didn't prepare for the test, he's a bad test taker (I seem to remember this being a criticism of home schooled kids and the FCAT), or he isn't smart enough for the position (Tebow was better than the nationwide average of 21 or 20). However, the Wonderlic, like every IQ test, is criticized for too much focus on one thing and not enough focus on something else.

The Post story also mentions that Tebow would be 25th among current NFL starters according to his score. The real problem isn't the score, but where he finished. Tebow needs to make people think he is an elite quarterback prospect. Finishing in the Wonderlic behind Sam Bradford (36), Colt McCoy (25) and Jimmy Clausen (23) won't help. It's just another blemish on Tebow's resume.

A stellar three-year college football career in the toughest conference in the country should be enough to convince NFL scouts, coaches and front office personnel that former Florida Gators cornerback Joe Haden will succeed as a professional. And it looked like it was enough, until Haden ran a 4.57 40-yard dash at the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine about two weeks ago.

Ever since, Haden has been doing little but working on his 40 time, mostly because he is confident that he can do better – much better. His father, Joe Haden, Sr., told the Palm Beach Post Tuesday that Haden’s performance at the combine was not representative of his true speed. In fact, Haden, Sr. revealed that his son’s back tightened up as he has recently been dealing with lower back pain from working out and weight lifting.

“We had stopped doing some of the heavier lifting, but it just stiffened up on him, one of those things,” Haden, Sr. told the Post. “It’s just really affected him. I wish I had known, because I would have had him not even work out.”

Evaluators do not want to hear excuses. All they care about is improvement, and Haden plans to do just that at Florida’s Pro Day on March 17.

“The 40 is what time it is right now. That’s the big bang for the buck, that’s what the scouts want to see,” Haden, Sr. said. “He’s preparing very hard, very hard, to put it mildly. […] For Joe, all his life, (speed) has been his biggest strength. So for something to happen like that for him, I mean, Joe ran a 4.5 40 in the ninth grade. It was just something that was a blip.”

That blip happened twice in one day, injury or not. And Haden has fallen out of the top 10 on most team’s draft boards, according to various scouts and evaluators throughout the league. When a player falters at the combine or faces other adversity before the NFL Draft, it is usually his agent – not his father – stepping up to quiet those doubters and shout about the qualifications of his client.

That is where this gets even more interesting.

While quarterback Tim Tebow chose Jimmy Sexton, wide receiver Riley Cooper and center Maurkice Pouncey picked Joel Segal and defensive end Carlos Dunlap signed up with Todd France, Haden’s representation remains somewhat of a mystery.

An OGGOA source has confirmed that Haden is being represented by DSI Sports, specifically agent Malik Hafeez Shareef. Certified in Sept. 2007 by the NFL Players Association, Shareef does not have a client in the NFL and failed at placing his previous one (WR Brandon Whittington of Purdue) with a professional team last season. For the record, Whittington had 26 catches for 206 yards and one touchdown in two seasons with the Boilermakers and is not anywhere near the same caliber player as Haden, who will be drafted ahead of any other Florida player in 2010.

So who exactly is Shareef, and why did Haden choose him over more established agents who would have done their best to squash any concern over his “slow” 40 time? Is he simply a NFLPA-certified front man so Haden, Sr. can manage his son’s career?

Either way, an explanation is needed for the little-to-no damage control that was done on behalf of Haden after his sub-standard 40-yard dash became one of the biggest stories coming out of the combine.

Released from Alachua County Jail on Jan. 20 after posting a reduced $40,000 bond, former Florida Gators cornerback Wondy Pierre-Louis was charged with two misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief on March 4. Wednesday, Pierre-Louis pled guilty to both charges and received a sentence of one year of probation from the judge.

Originally arrested and held on five felony counts related to domestic abuse (domestic battery by strangulation, burglary, simple battery, kidnapping/false imprisonment and obstruction of justice/tampering with a witness), Pierre-Louis’ charges were reduced to damaging a door and cell phone in his then-girlfriend and accuser Starlett Lazenberry’s apartment.

In court on Jan. 19, Lazenberry denied much of the police report attributed to statements she made to law enforcement after calling 911 the morning of the alleged incident. “I do not fear for my life or anything like that,” Lazenberry told the court. “He’s not a danger to anyone. He couldn’t hurt a frog.”

Though Lazenberry asked that the charges against Pierre-Louis be dropped, the case was placed in the hands of State Attorney Bill Cervone. Cervone held an investigation to determine whether or not there was sufficient evidence to mount a case against Pierre-Louis and eventually decided on the two misdemeanor charges.

Regardless of the importance, a 22 ain't gonna help his draft stock ... — full article at bustersports.com

	Send tips to rickhouse@blogsbyfans.com. Become a fan of TUP on Facebook .   Can't get enough of little kids getting hurt. "Oh! Kurt!" i94 Sports : You know, the Bears can always trade next year's first rounder for Brandon Marshall... Sun-Times : My friend Adam wrote a nice piece on ... — full article at tremendousupsidepotential.com

	John Raoux - AP 3 months ago: FILE - In this Nov. 21, 2009, file photo, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow (15) scrambles for yardage between Florida International linebacker Tyler Clawson (49) and defensive tackle ... — full article at sbnation.com

Jon Gruden is tutoring the top quarterback hopefuls for April’s draft. The former NFL coach turned “Monday Night Football” announcer worked with Florida’s Tim Tebow this week, and he’s expected to meet with former Longhorn Colt McCoy later this month. He’s ... — full article at statesman.com

Former Florida football player Wondy Pierre-Louis pled guilty to two counts of criminal mischief on Wednesday and was given a year's probation.

Tim Tebow is certainly no dummy, having won the National Football Foundation’s “Academic Heisman,” otherwise known as the William V. Campbell Trophy, in 2009 for success on the field, in the classroom and community leadership.

Tebow graduated Florida with a 3.66 GPA as a Family, Youth and Community Services major, and he is a three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and a two-time First Team Academic All-American.

But when it comes to quick thinking in a pressurized situation, Tebow performed slightly below average when compared to his peers. According to Edgar Thompson, the Post’s Miami Dolphins writer, Tebow scored a 22 on his Wonderlic test at the NFL Combine two weekends ago.

The 12-minute, 50-question test assesses a person’s learning and problem-solving abilities, and while Tebow’s score of 22 is just fine for the NFL, it is a little low for starting quarterbacks.

The average score for all quarterbacks is 24, but the average for 30 NFL starting quarterbacks — Matt Cassel’s and Matt Moore’s could not be found — is a 28.5. Taking it a step further, the average Wonderlic score of the last seven Super Bowl winners is 30.1.

That’s not to say that a Wonderlic score directly relates to success as an NFL quarterback. Quarterbacks with high scores (Ryan Fitzpatrick 48, Alex Smith 40, Matt Leinart 35) have struggled in the league, while quarterbacks with modest scores (Donovan McNabb 14, David Garrard 14, Vince Young 15) have performed well.

Tebow also scored slightly lower than the other quarterbacks in this draft class — Sam Bradford leads the way with 36, followed by Colt McCoy at 25 and Jimmy Clausen at 23, according to Thompson.

Here is a list of the Wonderlic scores of the starting quarterbacks in the NFL (plus Tebow):

1. Ryan Fitzpatrick 48
2. Alex Smith 40
3. Eli Manning 39
4. Matt Stafford 38
5. Tony Romo 37
6. Aaron Rodgers 35
6. Matt Leinart 35
8. Tom Brady 33
9. Matt Ryan 32
10. Matt Schaub 31
11. Philip Rivers 30
12. Matt Hasselbeck 29
12. Marc Bulger 29
12. Brady Quinn 29
15. Mark Sanchez 28
15. Peyton Manning 28
15. Drew Brees 28
18. Josh Freeman 27
18. Joe Flacco 27
20. Carson Palmer 26
20. Jay Cutler 26
20. Kyle Orton 26
23. Ben Roethlisberger 25
24. Jason Campbell 23
25. Brett Favre 22
25. Tim Tebow 22
25. Chad Henne 22
28. Bruce Gradkowski 19
29. Vince Young 15
30. Donovan McNabb 14
30. David Garrard 14

Unknown
Matt Cassel
Matt Moore

Other Wonderlic scores of note:
Brian Griese 39
Drew Bledsoe 36
Steve Young 33
John Elway 29
Ryan Leaf 27
Chad Pennington 25
JaMarcus Russell 24
Mark Brunell 22
Trent Dilfer 22
Michael Vick 20
Daunte Culpepper 18
Dan Marino 15
Randall Cunningham 15
Jim Kelly 15
Terry Bradshaw 15
Chris Leak 8

Thanks to this database from the University of North Carolina for all Wonderlic scores before 2007.