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Quirky queries Bizarre questions help teams get grasp of personalities
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- While New Orleans Saints coach Jim Haslett and his counterparts on other teams size up potential NFL players at the scouting combine this weekend, they'll be checking out a lot more than their vertical leap and time in the 40-yard dash. They'll also be trying to find out -- among other things -- if the former college stars would rather be dogs or cats. "If that will tell us whether they'll fit into what we're trying to do, then that's what we want to know," Haslett said. "These days, you need to know a lot more than just what their athletic skills are." The question - "Would you rather be a dog or a cat?" is part of the test Dr. Robert Troutwine, an industrial psychologist in Liberty, Mo., will give all the players at the scouting combine. "The dog or cat question is one we feel has a lot of symbolism," said Troutwine, who has tested players for NFL teams since 1984. "A dog is man's best friend. A cat is more independent. Players who go for dogs tend to like structure and being part of a team is more important to them. Cats are guys who are more comfortable being a more solo contributor. You have to let him feel like he's making the decisions." The dog-cat question is one of the quirkier, on the test Troutwine, a former industrial psychologist gives for 10 NFL teams. Most are more direct, but all are aimed at finding out more about how players respond to everything from direction to stress. "There are a lot of reasons other than physical that players don't make it in the league," Troutwine said. "The game has gotten so complex. You want to know if a player can learn quickly enough, can adapt, can handle the pressure, many things." Three years ago, Troutwine assessed Ryan Leaf and Peyton Manning for the Indianapolis Colts. His assessment that Leaf would have more problems coping with early failures than Manning and would have problems with mounting pressure, he said. Two years ago, Troutwine told the Colts general manager Bill Polian that Edgerrin James was a better match for his team than Ricky Williams because James' personality was more adaptable to having a bigger star - Manning - on the team, Troutwine said. The Colts took James, the Saints took Williams. "Dr. Troutwine's evaluation was one of the things we took into consideration in making the pick," said Colts spokesman Craig Kelley. "We don't discuss any specifics on the tests, other than to say we think it's one of several valuable tools we use." Psychological testing is one more way to hedge a multimillion dollar bet on draft picks, Saints general manager Randy Mueller said. "It's far from an exact science," Mueller said. "But it can let you know a little more about someone. It can help you round out a picture." The attributes that make good football players aren't necessarily the ones that make good employees in other fields, said Dr. Kevin Elko, who does psychological testing for the Saints and other NFL teams. "Football is not a game for the well adjusted," Elko said. "If you're well adjusted you don't want to go out and slam someone down just because they work for someone else. They question is, how does a player handle his craziness?" The tests can also help teams understand the standards a player uses to guide his life both on and off the field, Elko said. In addition to getting a picture of a player's integrity, morality and sense of self, the evaluation can also provide a clue to the toughness players will display during their careers. "You may not be able to tell if a player is injury prone, but you can see how they handle adversity," Elko said. He points to the way St. Louis Rams Pro Bowl wide receiver Torry Holt dealt with a separated shoulder. "I asked him how he could continue to play and he said, 'I told myself that my mother went to work with cancer for six years and never missed a day,'" Elkin said. "I ended the interview right there. We're trying to determine character more than anything else, and I never had another question about his."
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