From Christopher Gaspar:

Patriots draft picks linebacker Jerod Mayo, cornerback Terrence Wheatley, linebacker Shawn Crable, quarterback Kevin O'Connell, cornerback Jonathan Wilhite, kick returner Matthew Slater and linebacker Bo Ruud combined to win the "Ultimate Rookie Challenge" trivia contest at the NFL Rookie Symposium, which was held earlier this month in Carlsbad, Calif.

Players were asked a series of 32 questions about topics ranging from their NFL benefits packages to material from some of the educational seminars on finance and life skills that were held during the three-and-a-half day symposium, as well as some basic NFL trivia. Individual scores were combined to come up with the top team score, and the seven Pats rookies fared the best.

Each Patriots rookie was awarded a 32-inch Samsung flat screen TV for the New England newbies' collective victory. O'Connell, the team's second of two third-round picks, finished fourth among all 252 draftees in attendance and received an iPod as well.

It's like I've been saying for years: Every GM in the NFL preaches that they look for smart players, but Belichick and Pioli back it up. I mean, they want intelligent players who are also strong, fast and would pull their grandmother's windpipe out through her mouth to win a championship. As much of premium as they put on intelligence, they're not going to draft Christopher Mintz-Plasse or Kati Cawley. But I wouldn't be surprised to find out Ruud works on the Finobacci Sequence between plays. Or Mayo likes to sit around after practice discussing Cartesian Dualism. I'll bet Slater likes to calculate Pi while he's breaking down opponent's Special Teams tapes. And I wouldn't be the least bit shocked to hear that O'Connell carries a copy of "Ulysses" inside his playbook for a bit of light reading once he's mastered the offense. Training camp can't start fast enough.