Psychological Tests For Recruits Might Need To Take Place

Twice in the past two months the University of Tennessee Athletic Department has been rocked by UT student-athletes getting in trouble with the law. Last week, 4 Volunteer Men's Basketball players, Tyler Smith, Cameron Tatum, Brian Williams and Melvin Goins, were all arrested on drug and weapons charges. About two months ago, three UT football players were arrested for Armed Robbery, although one was acquitted. To me , all this raises a question. Do college athletic departments need to do what NFL teams do when they draft players: administer psychological testing.

Teams in the NFL administer the "Ink Blot Test" among other forms of psychological testing to determine if the prospective player is the right fit for their team as far as attitude, work ethic and chemistry issues. Perhaps the aame thing needs to be done with prospective college recruits. It's true that recruiters cant always see the "red flags", but I'm wondering if some of these tests would give recruiters a better indication of the player's psyche and his ability to work within a team concept. These tests may also "predict" the player's potential risk of getting invovled in the wrong activities.

It's impossible to tell most of the time, but if you're investing thousands of dollars in giving a player a scholarship, then you should know what the "total package" is. A university cant afford to have too many incidents like they have had at Tennessee. Why not implement psychological testing of recruits. NFL teams are investing millions in their draft picks, and colleges are investing thousands (and in a way, millions) in a recruit. That's my opinion, and I welcome yours.