Answer:
The statement that paraphrases this excerpt best is "This man, who was smart in school, has grown up to be unintelligent."
Step-by-step explanation:
The objective of paraphrasing a sentence is to make it easier to read and keep the same message with different words and different structure, some elements can be changed or omitted as long as they do not affect the general message. Some words have similar meanings, but in the paraphrased sentence are clearer, for example, blunt fellow = unintelligent, quick mettle = smart.