Eagles are hoping Curtis scores well on the TD test

New Eagles receiver Kevin Curtis is known as somebody who can outrun defenses and out-think defensive coordinators.

After he had spent four seasons in St. Louis, the Eagles signed him March 15 to a reported six-year, $30 million deal with $9.5 million guaranteed. Curtis said he is eager to learn the Eagles' West Coast offense.

Learning anything hasn't been too difficult for Curtis, who had 40 receptions for 479 yards and four touchdowns last season while serving as the Rams' third receiver in the slot behind starters Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt.

While playing in the slot, Curtis didn't always get to showcase his speed, something that should happen with the Eagles, where he is expected to complement Reggie Brown.

No matter what Curtis achieves, he is always reminded of his off-the-charts test score in the Wonderlic test following his senior season at Utah State.

Curtis scored a 48 out of 50, which is the highest total for any active player. A score of 21 is considered average intelligence. Quarterbacks and offensive linemen average a 25, other positions average about a 20.

Only one NFL player, former Cincinnati Bengals punter Pat McInally of Harvard, has reportedly scored higher. McInally, who played for the Bengals from 1976 to 1985, recorded a 50.

Rarely a day goes by when Curtis isn't reminded of his score.

"It always seems to get brought up," Curtis said while talking to reporters in a press gathering yesterday at the NovaCare Complex. "I don't mind it. It makes people think I'm smart."

Over the years, Curtis has been the subject of some good-natured ribbing by his teammates because of the score, notably Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Rams' reserve quarterback from Harvard.

"I had a Harvard guy, Fitzpatrick, in St. Louis, who always told me I was cheating, being that I had a Utah State education," Curtis said, laughing.

Fitzpatrick scored a 37 on his Wonderlic test.

"I did beat him, but I wish the Wonderlic score meant I was smarter than him," Curtis said.

There were skeptics when Curtis' score was first announced. He said he took the test four times, the last came on his Pro Day at Utah State.

"When I took it on my Pro Day, they didn't believe my score so they sat down next to me and made sure," he said, laughing at the thought. "A person watched me answer every question, and each time it got easier, and the last time I actually finished with a couple of minutes to spare."

Curtis, who will turn 29 in July, didn't take the conventional route to the NFL. After high school, he walked on at Snow Junior College in Utah, where he excelled for two years.

Instead of heading to a four-year college, Curtis decided to serve his two-year mission in England for the Mormon Church.

"That was a tough decision for me. I always wanted to play Division I football, and I had quite a few scholarship opportunities coming out of junior college, but I decided to do the mission," Curtis said. "That kind of put things on hold."

When he finished his mission, there were no Division I offers. So he walked on at Utah State. After redshirting the first season, he became the school's all-time leader with 171 receptions.

He was drafted in the third round by St. Louis in 2003, and after four years, finds himself in new surroundings.

Curtis said five or six teams were courting him, and he decided to go Super Bowl contender that offered a lucrative contract.

"The things that are important is to be able to win and to be able to be part of a winning team," Curtis said. "So that is why Philadelphia."

The Wonderlic Personnel Test is used to gauge an individual's ability to cope with the complexities of a particular occupation, and is believed to be a reliable predictor of an individual's professional performance.

Here is a sample question:

Resent and Reserve.

Do these words . . .

1. Have similar meanings.

2. Have contradictory meanings.

3. Mean neither the same nor opposite?

Answer is No. 3.

For more information, go to http://www.wonderlic.com

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