DE Vernon Gholston (New York Jets)

[cbus2005]

Keep in mind a certain defensive end for the Texans didnt do crap his rookie year either...

[3074326]

Originally Posted by cbus2005

Keep in mind a certain defensive end for the Texans didnt do crap his rookie year either...

He did much better than Vern, in all fairness. He also started every game if I'm not mistaken, and didn't have to change positions.

Vern switched to OLB in a completely different scheme, so expecting him to live up to the hype in the first year is pretty unfair. I'm pretty excited to see what Ryan can do with him.

[MaxBuck]

Vern was a great Buckeye, but in all honesty I thought New York was out of their minds to pick him 5th overall. To then try to switch positions - a recipe for failure, IMO.

Had Vern been picked up in the latter stages of the 1st round by a 4-3 team and allowed to play DE, I think we would be hearing different things about him.

[ryan20]

Originally Posted by MaxBuck

Vern was a great Buckeye, but in all honesty I thought New York was out of their minds to pick him 5th overall. To then try to switch positions - a recipe for failure, IMO.

Had Vern been picked up in the latter stages of the 1st round by a 4-3 team and allowed to play DE, I think we would be hearing different things about him.

6th, btw. But I agree that Vern was taken too high, but I still hold pretty high confidence that he will be a solid player in the league. Just too much talent.

[Buckskin86]

Ryan on Gholston: 'I believe in the young man'
March 24, 2009
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

DANA POINT, Calif. -- One of the most incredible stats from last season:

Prized New York Jets pass rusher Vernon Gholston, the sixth pick in the draft, recorded one solo tackle.

Of the 23 Jets who made a tackle, Gholston finished with the fewest. He also had four assists, giving him a grand total of five tackles. He, of course, had zero sacks.

While a single season is too soon to label any player a bust, Jets fans certainly are cynical about Gholston.

Jets coach Rex Ryan, however, isn't afraid to bang Gholston's drum.

"For whatever reason, the young man maybe never played up to expectations, but there's a reason that he was taken as high as he was," Ryan said over breakfast Tuesday morning at the NFL coaches' meeting at the St. Regis Hotel.

"I believe in the young man. I think you're going to see this kid really come into his own this year."

Perhaps Ryan can figure out a way to unlock Gholston's potential and save him from becoming known as another Mike Mamula, a scouting combine phenom who looked good in a tank top but couldn't perform on Sundays.

Ryan previously spent 10 seasons on the Baltimore Ravens' staff, helping to mold them into one of the NFL's elite defenses.

"The thing I've really been impressed with about Vernon is that he's been there almost every day," Ryan said. "When nobody else was in the building, he was in there, lifting weights and everything else.

"He's ready to come out and, believe me, it's in there. We all know it's in there. But it's my job to get this guy playing at a high level by any means necessary, and that's what we're going to do."

Ryan on Gholston: 'I believe in the young man' - AFC East - ESPN

[OregonBuckeye]

Perhaps Ryan can figure out a way to unlock Gholston's potential and save him from becoming known as another Mike Mamula, a scouting combine phenom who looked good in a tank top but couldn't perform on Sundays.

Didn't Mamula only get drafted because of his workout? Vernon actually had a great season and a lot of production.

[MSURacerDT55]

Originally Posted by OregonBuckeye

Didn't Mamula only get drafted because of his workout? Vernon actually had a great season and a lot of production.

Don't worry in Ryan's scheme Vern=Suggs esque

[BuckeyeNation27]

Originally Posted by OregonBuckeye

Didn't Mamula only get drafted because of his workout? Vernon actually had a great season and a lot of production.

like that matters. as soon as somebody can claim an athlete as a bust, they do it with full force.

[TheIronColonel]

Especially the New York media.

And don't slam Mamula too much - he actually had a decent college career (and pro career - though probably not a 1st round draft pick kind of career). I can't find the exact stats, but he was realistically a second or high first round pick if you strip away the combine hype.

[Buckskin86]

Ryan said he's pleased with LB Vernon Gholston through three practices.

"He's out there flying to the ball," said Ryan. "He has made a couple of sacks. I'm happy he's here." ...

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/200...rk_jets_m.html

Jets' Gholston still believes he can be dominant
By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) ? Vernon Gholston was a coveted man at the NFL draft last year, with several teams hoping to make the hulking linebacker the centerpiece of their defense.

After a disappointing rookie season with the New York Jets in which he had no sacks and provided little impact, he's still looking to develop into a dominant presence.

"I never lost confidence in myself," Gholston said Friday between minicamp practices. "I'll say that honestly. I still feel like when I learn what I can do, I can be one of the best players in this league."

Jets coach Rex Ryan has declared Gholston will be one of his personal projects this season, eager to tap into the potential that excited New York so much that it drafted him sixth overall last year.

"I'm just letting my eyes do our evaluation, what I see out there right now," Ryan said. "Vernon is a New York Jet, and I'm happy he is."

When then-coach Eric Mangini and general manager Mike Tannenbaum drafted Gholston, it was with the intention that the former Ohio State star would easily transition from a 4-3 defensive end to a 3-4 outside linebacker. Fans cheered the pick, envisioning Gholston terrorizing quarterbacks on a weekly basis.

Instead came a year of struggles. He missed minicamp because of an NCAA rule that wouldn't allow him to practice until Ohio State's spring semester was completed. He then missed a day of training camp because of a brief contract holdout. Then, he was slow to pick up Mangini's intricate defensive system and found playing time scarce. He was even inactive for a week and has faced constant questions about what went wrong.

"It's just the way it works out sometimes," Gholston said. "I think the bigger measure is how you bounce back from that. You strive and keep going and give yourself a chance to get where you want to go."

Gholston, who set the Buckeyes' single-season sacks record with 14 as a senior, had just 13 tackles last season for New York. He was tagged by some fans with the nickname "The Ghost" for his lack of big plays.

"Shoot, I'm dang hungry," he said. "I definitely want some sacks. I think people look at last year and say I had no sacks, but there were a lot of times I was actually close to sacks. What we did last year, I wasn't always called to rush. A lot of that just comes with the game plan. A lot of times I was actually close on sacks, I was just a tenth of a second or a step away."

The Associated Press: Jets' Gholston still believes he can be dominant

[osucollegebuck]

Gholston Wardrobe Change: From 56 to 50

Gholston Wardrobe Change: From 56 to 50

Published: Tue, April 21, 2009 - 3:39pm ET
By Randy Lange

Lange is editor-in-chief of newyorkjets.com. He covered the Jets for 13 years for The Record of Hackensack, N.J.


File Under: Eric Barton, Rex Ryan, David Clowney, Vernon Gholston, draft day party, Morristown, number change, Grasshopper on the Green
change font email article
04/21 ? Here's a number flash: Vernon Gholston is trading in 56.
Gholston will henceforth be seen in and known as No. 50.
Why the change? Ohio State fans know why: That was Vernon's number as a Buckeye, when he did quite a bit of Big Ten sacking in 2006-07, helping him rise to his lofty status as the sixth overall pick of the 2008 NFL Draft.
Of course, Eric Barton used to be 50 since arriving as a Jet in 2004, but now he's with the Browns. The opening that Gholston needed. His unis and locker should be changed over by Wednesday.
We're not suggesting a number change will turn a player into a Pro Bowler, but it can be a small, subtle part of an NFL makeover, something that Gholston is undergoing now under new head coach Rex Ryan and new coordinator Mike Pettine and with new teammates around him, including new ILB Bart Scott.
"I'm just letting my eyes do our evaluation," Ryan said during last week's veteran minicamp. "What I see out there right now, Vernon is a New York Jet and I'm happy he is. Watch him out there these last few practices you guys have been out there, you see how he's flying to the football and making some plays."
Happy 5-0, Vernon.




I always liked Vern in 50 better anyways

[Buckskin86]

Second-year players: Dozen defenders to watch in '09
Posted: May 7, 2009

In Tuesday's column, we focused on second-year offensive players who didn't do too much as rookies, yet were about to step into pivotal roles in 2009. Today, it's time to turn our attention to the defense. For this other side of the ball, we've expanded our pool from a top 10 to a dynamic dozen, thanks to a couple Year 2 duos featuring same-position players from the same team.

7. Vernon Gholston, OLB, Jets. With Ryan overseeing the defense and Scott joining it, New York has a chance to put an elite unit on the field this season. Much of it will depend on how effective the Jets are in rushing the passer from the 3-4 and Gholston's progress in adjusting to the system in his second year.

With Scott, David Harris and Calvin Pace, three-fourths of the Jets' linebacker corps should be to Ryan's pleasing. Now it's that left outside spot that needs to be nailed down, where the primary options are Gholston (6th overall last year) and fellow first-rounder Bryan Thomas ('02, 22nd overall). Gholston needs to start showing he can succeed as an edge-rushing linebacker, as having a nondescript, sans-sack season just won't cut it.

SportingNews.com - Your expert source for NFL Football stats, scores, standings, blogs and fantasy news from NFL Football columnists

[Buckskin86]

Video interview with Vern and Jets coaches...

New York Jets Multimedia

[Buckskin86]

Vernon Gholston impressing New York Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, plus tidbits from Thursday's organized team activities
by Dave Hutchinson/The Star-Ledger
Thursday May 14, 2009


Ed Betz/Associated Press
Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine says Vernon Gholston, above, is 'right where he needs to be' in terms of his progression.

Of course, this is what sold the Jets on him in the first place, and has some in the organization ruing Draft Day 2008, but second-year linebacker Vernon Gholston is looking great in shorts these days.

Gholston, selected sixth overall in 2008, shot up draft boards with his combine workouts that February and the Jets bit. To date, they have little to show for their five-year, $32.5 million ($21 million guaranteed) investment.

Shortly after Rex Ryan was hired, he and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine called out Gholston, saying if they can't make him a player, no one can.

"I think Vernon is having a real good offseason,'' said Pettine Thursday following an organized team activity session at Florham Park. "You can tell this is important to him. He's passionate about it.

"The signs are there. He asks the right questions. If he makes a mistake, usually he knows it right away. I think progression-wise, he's right where he needs to be. ... I'm confident he'll be better once we have the pads on.''

Said Gholston: "The comfort comes from this being my second year. The biggest thing is that last year at this time I wasn't here. I was back at Ohio State. Now, you get the chance to go through the defensive installs. You can work on it and work on your technique and the different ins and outs of the defense. I didn't get the chance to do that last year. I think that's pretty big.'' ...

Vernon Gholston impressing New York Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, plus tidbits from Thursday's organized team activities - NJ.com

Vernon Gholston saw action as a down lineman in nickel and dime packages.

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jet...odays-pra.html

[Buckskin86]

Ryan says Gholston will be 'major contributor'
May 21, 2009
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Perhaps Rex Ryan has resorted to a bit of coaching psyops to bolster his pupil's confidence.

Ryan offered some encouraging words Thursday about beleaguered defensive end Vernon Gholston.

It's possible Ryan was telegraphing a rah-rah message through the press, but maybe the Jets finally are seeing evidence last year's sixth overall draft pick can start living up to his immense promise.

"I think he'll have to earn his role no matter what it is," Ryan told reporters at the Jets' facility in Florham Park, N.J. "Whether he is a starter? Is he this? Is he that?

"I know one thing: He is going to be a major contributor for us."

Gholston was insignificant last year. The pass-rushing specialist opted to leave Ohio State a year early and tore up the NFL scouting combine.

The Jets gave him a five-year contract with $21 million in guarantees.

But Gholston couldn't crack the starting lineup. He was a healthy scratch in a critical Week 15 game against the Buffalo Bills. He finished the year with one solo tackle, dead last among the 23 Jets who recorded any stops.

Jets fans hope Ryan, the coordinator of some great Baltimore Ravens defenses, can find a way to unleash Gholston. Ryan has compared Gholston's potential to that of Terrell Suggs, a 10th overall pick who started one game as a rookie in 2003 and made the Pro Bowl his next year.

"I am really excited about Vernon," Ryan said. "I think he is where I thought he would be right now in this stage. He is working and getting better every day."

Ryan says Gholston will be 'major contributor' - NFL Nation - ESPN