Evaluating player profiles: the psychometric properties of an instrument used with prospective American professional football athletes

Purpose Psychological assessments are increasingly used in professional sport settings, yet limited evidence exists regarding the measurement properties of instruments developed to assess psychological characteristics among elite athletes. This study examined the factor structure and reliability of a psychological assessment used with collegiate football players entering the National Football League (NFL) draft. Design/methodology/approach Data were drawn from 4,264 male collegiate football players who were eligible for the NFL draft between 2013 and 2022. Participants completed the Professional Sports Consultants Instrument (PSCI), which assesses psychological, personality, attitudinal and social-cognitive characteristics. Exploratory principal factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling were used to examine the instrument's underlying factor structure, with reliability assessed for the resulting factors. Findings Analyses identified a revised three-factor structure (PSCI-R) capturing Adaptive Behavior, Humility and Integrity, and Leadership and Flexibility. The factors demonstrated acceptable reliability, providing preliminary evidence for a more parsimonious structure for assessing psychological characteristics in collegiate football players. Originality/value This study provides one of the first large-scale evaluations of a psychological assessment instrument used in professional football personnel decision-making, offering evidence to support more systematic, data-informed approaches to talent evaluation and human capital management in elite sport organizations.