Morris Claiborne Wonderlic: Former LSU Star Comments on Leaked Test Scores

After reports surfaced claiming that LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne, who is widely projected as a top-five pick in April's NFL draft, scored a woeful four out of 50 on the Wonderlic intelligence test, the All-American took to Twitter to defend himself. The NFL also warned teams that these leaks could carry severe penalties and the media rose to condemn the unknown tattletale.

USA Today reported Wednesday that the 22-year-old Tigers star took to his protected Twitter account, lashing out at critics who have mocked his reportedly low score and theorized that it would negatively impact his draft stock.

""At the end of the day I will be a top 10 pick!" Claiborne began, adding that the public understanding of the test and its uses is limited.

Claiborne exclaimed that "haters" will have to do more than criticize his test scores to bring him down, adding a smiley face and a row of dollar symbols.

He added, "You guys don't no me #Top10".

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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also took action, sending a memo to all 32 teams Wednesday night, warning that any club found to have leaked the supposedly confidential Wonderlic score of a player would face "significant discipline" according to ESPN.

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The Associated Press obtained the memo, which was sent on Wednesday night after reports that LSU defensive back Morris Claiborne allegedly scored poorly on the Wonderlic test. The exam is used by NFL teams to try to gauge a prospect's intelligence, problem-solving ability and cognitive skills.

League rules prohibit officials from disclosing the results, but scores have routinely been leaked for years.

In his memo, Goodell stresses that Wonderlic scores, personal and family histories and drug tests are to be kept strictly confidential. He writes that disclosing that kind of information "can be extremely damaging to players, clubs, and the league."

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Claiborne's leaked test score has also caused quite an uproar in the media. Scribes such as Peter Schrager of FOX Sports asked the very reasonable question of whether the enigmatic Wonderlic test has any real relevance and lambasting the "anonymous source" that released Claiborne's score to the press.

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Whether Claiborne even scored a four is really neither here nor there, though.

The real issue is that the report was even leaked at all. Whether true or false, it’s a nefarious act from an individual or individuals who clearly have some incentives to damage a young man.

Did the score come from a team that wants to draft Claiborne and thought the information would stray another team away from doing so? Or was it from an agent trying to better position his own client, potentially a top cornerback, himself? You’ll drive yourself crazy playing Andy Sipowicz trying to figure that one out.

If you’re going to hold these kids responsible and ask them to honor their end of the pre-draft process, you should hold all parties responsible for it, too.

Maybe I’m getting too worked up over this.

After all, the test means nothing.

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Schrager is correct that the test's significance appears minimal, as there have been many players who scored badly on the test but went on to productive careers in the NFL. Given Claiborne's impressive talents and collegiate resume, his draft stock almost certainly hasn't been affected much, if at all.

However, when Roger Goodell starts sending out memos, the hornet's nest has officially been stirred up. Once that occurs it usually doesn't subside until the commissioner's office has stung someone, so it's very possible that the fallout from Claiborne's test score (and its leak) has only just begun.

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