The utility of the Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Five -Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) as an instrument for profiling the personalities of professional and college football players

This study investigated the utility of the Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) as an instrument for profiling the personalities of professional and college football players. Subjects included 24 players from a National Football League team and 54 football players from a Division I program who were currently competing and signed on for the 2001 football season. It was hypothesized that: (1) College football players would score lower on extraversion than National Football League players; (2) College football players would score lower on conscientiousness than National Football League players; (3) College football players would score higher on neuroticism than National Football League players, and (4) There would be significant differences found when these football players were compared to the NEO normative sample. Results supported all four hypotheses. Suggestions for the use of the NEO-FFI to assist with screening of football players are discussed.