I was happy to see the NFL roll out its new Player Assessment Test this year, which examines prospects’ psychological makeup. Previous mental assessments used by the NFL, like the Wonderlic test, were of limited use and for the most part outdated, as far as evaluating the future success of individual athletes. Although I have not seen the actual test, I am reasonably sure it is a positive step forward in player evaluation.

Unfortunately, now that the test has been given for the first time, copies will get out and chances are it will not be as reliable going forward because player reps will make sure to coach their players up for it, like they currently do before players go out for their team interviews. I use assessments before I agree to work with a player and work hard to disguise the intent of the questions, so as not to tip a player’s prospective hand, but they are not foolproof by any means. Fortunately for me, the incentive to game my assessment test is minimal, unlike what’s on the line with the NFL’s Player Assessment Test.

The crux of the problem is that players know what they are being tested for and are going to try and put their best foot forward. I’m not going to divulge any trade secrets here, but there are other ways to test for key mental attributes, specifically in the way in which you run players through normal drills. I have used them effectively with teams I have worked with to help staffs evaluate who to sign, with good success. Sadly though, most teams are either ignorant of these tools or too lazy to use them.

There are of course other reasons why a majority of the “so called experts” fail in their efforts to build their team through the draft. Another main reason is their over-emphasis on the physical measurables of individual players. For every freak specimen who excels at the highest level of their sport, there are many more freak specimens who never make it, or who wash out even faster than their stock skyrocketed. As basketball great, Michael Jordan pointed out: “When I was young, I had to learn the fundamentals of basketball. You can have all the physical ability in the world, but you still have to know the fundamentals.”

Many people, who are paid quite well to know better, are still often blinded by players physical attributes, in the same way that their judgment goes out the window when a svelte pretty young woman is flirting with them. In both cases they are likely to make bad decisions, which they later regret and end up paying for. Past performance is a much more reliable indicator of future performance than physical potential. When you overweight the physical qualities of a player you usually end up with a bunch of players who look like Tarzan, but play like Jane.

Another pitfall in evaluating players to be drafted is the herd mentality. As soon as a few teams fall in love with a guy, inevitably others jump on the player’s bandwagon. In addition, certain players benefit from great public relation campaigns. You would be amazed at how many teams “experts” buy into these images without ever scratching below the surface to see if the player’s golden reputation matches with reality. There is a player who will be a high draft pick in a few weeks whose reputation is so finely crafted anyone would want him to be their son. This player is not a bad kid per se, but if you talk to the people who played with him (which most teams thus far have not bothered to do) you would realize that he’s lacking in several key areas.

Finally, many scouts and other NFL personnel mistake friendships or a person’s position (position coach etc) for equaling inside information. They often fail to realize that the person they are getting their info from may have their own agenda when commenting on the player. There’s a person in every athletic department in the country who I feel has the most useful info about a teams players that is rarely consulted by NFL personnel. I have used them for my purposes on occasion, and they have rarely failed me.

Like I have found in every field of endeavor I have worked with, the exceptional people in their field are the ones who are not afraid to go against the grain and who are willing to do the extra work necessary to gain an edge on the competition. Unfortunately most people, regardless of their field, choose comfort over the chance to be extraordinary, and when you are a comfortable scout, coach or GM, you usually draft the wrong players.

You can follow Sam on Twitter: @SuperTaoInc

Posted in The Mind Side Blog