DE Vernon Gholston (Official Thread)

[BuckeyeLiger87]

Since it was twittered i'm expecting to see Vern make some improvements. Rex Ryan would give two spits about hurting a players feelings, if Vern was proforming as bad as this guys tweet says he was theres no reason he wouldn't call him out on it.

 

[jwinslow]

I was thinking more along the lines of him being labeled as one of the biggest busts in recent memory, maybe more.

Alex Smith, Charles Rogers, David Carr & Joey Harrington have a substantial lead.

 

[3074326]

Alex Smith, Charles Rogers, David Carr & Joey Harrington have a substantial lead.

Yep. Didn't say he was the biggest bust, or even that I think he's a bust. Just that if he doesn't perform he'll be one of the more memorable busts. He'll be on the list with those guys if he doesn't perform.

If OLB doesn't work out, I'd want to see him at DE before anyone labeled him a bust.

 

[NJ-Buckeye]

Alex Smith, Charles Rogers, David Carr & Joey Harrington have a substantial lead.

Even these guys are light years behind... Ryan Leaf

 

[Buckskin86]

Gholston must earn his chance with Jets
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
NorthJersey.com

Rex Ryan praised Vernon Gholston several times during the spring. Jet fans hope he'll have as many kind words for the second-year linebacker in the weeks and months to come.

The Jets' need for the sixth overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft to finally begin demonstrating his vast potential increased significantly last week when starting outside linebacker Calvin Pace was banished for the first four games of the regular season for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy. Pace finished second on the team in sacks in 2008 with seven, and was a fast starter with 2 1/2 in the first four games last year.

Of course, that was supposed to be Gholston's specialty, after he racked up 22 1/2 quarterback takedowns in his final two seasons at Ohio State. But he got a late start in '08 because of an arcane NCAA and NFL rule that prevents rookies from participating fully in spring practices until their school's semester is over, and he rarely saw the field on defense.

Late in the spring, Ryan noted that Gholston "gets better every day," yet, truth be told, two other young linebackers stood out more often during practices observed by the media. Marques Murrell and Jason Trusnik, both third-year players, had eye-opening springs, and Ryan even cited Murrell for his good play on the final day of mandatory mini-camp. And Trusnik has something neither Murrell nor Gholston can boast of, an actual NFL sack, recorded during the 2008 season finale against Miami.

Ryan and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine believe they can unlock Gholston's potential. But maybe the best idea for using Gholston right now is to make him a situational pass-rusher, and take advantage of his obvious college strength.

NorthJersey.com: Gholston must earn his chance

What can we expect from Vernon Gholston in 2009?

Well, it's tough to have a "sophomore slump" season when your rookie season pretty much ceased to exist.

The Jets could get some great work out of Vernon Gholston this season. (Nick Laham / Getty Images)

Though most AFC East fans have used Gholston as the kicker in their punchlines about the Jets' ineptitude down the stretch last season, there's actually some quiet buzz about the progress the second-year man out of Ohio State has made over the past six months.

Jets fans were confused and distraught to see Gholston on the field in only rare instances last season, lining up for rare packages and barely getting in on special teams. Whereas fellow 2008 first-round picks Jerod Mayo and Keith Rivers excelled at linebacker in their rookie seasons, Gholston struggled. Immensely.

After a sackless first year in the league, Gholston has immersed himself into the film room, learning, living and breathing Rex Ryan's complex 3-4 defense. With the recent four-game suspension of Jets linebacker Calvin Pace, Gholston will be forced to step in and deliver right away. Based on his performance this spring, there's confidence in New York that he can.

They'll need him, too. The Jets face a tougher four-game slate to start the season than any other team in the league. Up against Houston, New England, Tennessee and New Orleans — four dynamo offenses — in the first quarter of the season, Gholston's production will be necessary.

As a rookie, DeMarcus Ware struggled in Dallas. Mario Williams had growing pains in his rookie campaign in Houston. Both players emerged during their second years in the league. Perhaps the same will go for Gholston.

And if not? Well, Pace returns in Week 5. Hopefully by then, the Jets aren't already 0-4.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9781200/Summer-two-a-days:-AFC-East,-NFC-West

 

[Buckskin86]

NY Jets safety Kerry Rhodes on Calvin Pace's suspension (and what it means for Vernon Gholston)
by Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger
Tuesday July 14, 2009

NEW YORK -- Jets safety Kerry Rhodes is good friends with linebacker Calvin Pace, so before the NFL announced his teammate's four-game suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing substances policy, Rhodes knew it was coming.

"He's doing the best he can," Rhodes said Monday night on the red carpet of Justin Tuck's celebrity billiards tournament to benefit Tuck's R.U.S.H. for Literacy initiative. "He knows it's a tough situation. You don't really want to talk about it too much, put too much out there as far as how he's doing, but he knows that he didn't do the right thing in that situation. You've just got to be careful what you take, he knows that."

Pace, who started all 16 games at outside linebacker for the Jets last season, seemed primed for a strong season under new head coach Rex Ryan's aggressive defense. But between Sept. 5 and Oct. 5, the scheduled length of Pace's suspension, the unit will have to rely on other players to fill in, starting with second-year pro Vernon Gholston.

Gholston had a disappointing rookie season, but the new coaching staff seemed encouraged by his progress during offseason OTAs and minicamp. Rhodes was impressed as well -- though he added the team is "not going to put all the pressure on Vernon" to absorb Pace's loss.

"I think he's matured into a player now," Rhodes said. "He's been through a whole year of it, and he's in a system where he's going to be able to be more aggressive and attack more, which is more of his style. He's not going to sit back and be reactionary a lot, so I think it's a good thing for him."

NY Jets safety Kerry Rhodes on Calvin Pace's suspension (and what it means for Vernon Gholston) - NJ.com

 

[Buckskin86]

Player Q&A: Vernon Gholston
Published: 07-16-09
By Jets Staff

How would you describe your first season as a pro?

Up and down.

Was there ever a point when you became discouraged?

Yeah.

What got you through it?

Just coming in the next day, or bouncing back the next play. That?s the biggest thing ? you get down, you get back up.

Do you think Rex Ryan and Mike Pettine?s defensive system will help you excel?

Yes, it should.

This year, you have the opportunity to participate in some of those off-season activities you were forced to miss last year. How much has it helped to be around for that?

It?s been huge, just my growth as a player and within this defense, because you?re actually able to go through the installs, be a part of the OTAs and, kind of, grasp all the things you missed from the first year?

When in your life did you begin weightlifting?

I started around the age of 13, just at home, and then 14 I kind of started in high school lifting serious weights.

What motivated you to start?

I used to see the magazines and even wrestlers and seeing how big and strong they were. You know, I kind of had inspiration to, kind of, be like that. Then, at the same time, I was getting kind of chubby, so I kind of had to trim up a little bit.

Who was your favorite wrestler back then?

Probably Stone Cold Steve Austin or Ultimate Warrior.

Why did you want to wear the number 50 again?

It was the number I had in high school and college, so it was just more so trying to stick with the same number. When it became available once Eric Barton was gone, it was something I had to jump on.

What do you miss most about college?

Definitely not getting up and going to class. If anything, I would say just a lot of friends that I made there. Obviously, you get close to those guys. It was great playing for Ohio State and you watch the games on TV and you kind of reminisce about being there. And that?s about it.

Player Q&A: Vernon Gholston : New York Jets News

 

[Buckskin86]

news, stats, photos and moreNY Jets coach Rex Ryan names Vernon Gholston starter in place of suspended Calvin Pace
by M.A. Mehta/The Star-Ledger
Wednesday July 22, 2009

Ryan, whose entertaining and energetic style has injected life into the organization, admitted that linebacker Vernon Gholston, the 2008 first-rounder who disappointed as a rookie last season, will start for Calvin Pace, who was suspended four games earlier this month for violating the league's performance-enhancing substances policy.

Ryan's take on losing Pace and throwing Gholston into the fire:

"Calvin's a rare guy ... He's a great football player. It is unfortunate that he's suspended for the four games. We certainly look forward to him coming back that fifth week and moving forward. He accepted responsibility for what happened. I know he thinks he's letting the teammates down ... We know the kind of person he is and the kind of player he is. We'll be excited to get him back. With that, we talked about Vernon and how he's going to have to step up and how we expect him to make great strides this year and how he was going to be a big reason in our successes moving forward. He's just got a roll with it now where he's going to be a starter. We'll see how he does. ...

"The plan is that we're going to play the best 11 and if that means a guy is going to change a position then he'll change a position. This is a deep football team so we're going to play all of our guys. Some guys will have maybe more of a role on first down or maybe more of a role on third down. But we're going to use everything that we got. We're building a football team. And we don't have to play the same 11 guys. This is all about what's best for our football team, putting our guys in situations to be successful. Again, we look forward to getting Calvin back. But that's certainly not going to be an excuse for us."

NY Jets coach Rex Ryan names Vernon Gholston starter in place of suspended Calvin Pace - NJ.com

 

[Buckskin86]

Gholston: "I know I can play"
Posted by Mike Florio on August 1, 2009

The sixth overall pick in the 2008 draft had a rough rookie year. A healthy scratch at one point during his first NFL season, linebacker Vernon Gholston widely is regarded as, to date, a bust.

But he expresses confidence as he prepares for a season that will commence with a four-game suspension for fellow linebacker Calvin Pace.

"I know I can play," Gholston said Saturday in comments circulated by the team. "The coaches know I can play. It's just all about like I said, getting in the defense, knowing what I'm in, knowing what I play, what I got going on and stepping up and doing it."

Gholston doesn't want to dwell on the fact that it didn't happen for him a year ago.

"Did I do all I wanted to do?" Gholston said. "Probably not. But the biggest thing for me, I never look back on the past, I always look forward."

Gholston: "I know I can play" | ProFootballTalk.com

 

[Buckskin86]

After dismal rookie year, Vernon Gholston must make impact for Jets
BY Rich Cimini
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Sunday, August 2nd 2009

Betz/AP
Vernon Gholston appears more comfortable this season with Jets, but much is expected from last year's No. 1.


CORTLAND - Vernon Gholston was on a flight to Miami last month, preparing to shut off his cell phone as the plane taxied to the runway, when he received a news-breaking text message from a friend: Teammate Calvin Pace was being suspended four games for violating the NFL's policy on steroids and related substances.

After takeoff, Gholston got confirmation, an ESPN update on his TV screen. He knew what it meant: He became the heir in the air, the replacement for Pace at outside linebacker - a "great" opportunity, he said Saturday at training camp. If there had been any Jets fans on the flight, they might have reached for their vomit bags.

Gholston, he of the five-tackle, no-sack, no-impact rookie season, is perhaps the biggest enigma on the Jets. He was the sixth overall pick in the 2008 draft, freakishly athletic, but his lack of production, coupled with what some teammates perceive as a lack of fire, has made him a mystery man in his own locker room.

"He's strong as hell, but the question is, does he want it?" said one player, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "It's the weirdest thing I've ever seen. He's got talent, and he doesn't lack confidence, but sometimes he's like an 18-year-old kid who's never played the game before."

Those were some of the knocks on Gholston before the draft - a lack of passion and football instinct - but the Jets gave him $20 million in guarantees, envisioning him as a big-time pass rusher. His washout rookie season didn't hurt the team that much because he was projected as a backup anyway, but now they need him to start at least four games.

"If he's not (ready), we'll be in a little predicament," safety Kerry Rhodes said. "He's gaining momentum toward the season. He's getting better. I think he understands the onus is on him to do a little more. Hopefully, he gets it."

Two days into training camp at SUNY-Cortland, Gholston seems more comfortable than a year ago, making an occasional play. Baby steps, right? In Rex Ryan's complicated defense, he can line up as a linebacker or a down lineman, depending on the front. Initially, the plan was to use him as a pass-rushing specialist, but now he'll be needed in base packages. For now, he's still working with the second team; Pace is allowed to practice with the team until the regular season.

"I think, even without (the unexpected promotion), he wanted to change the perception about himself," said Ryan, who has been talking up Gholston since the day he was hired. "I understand that. A lot is asked of a guy when he's the sixth pick."

After dismal rookie year, Vernon Gholston must make impact for Jets

 

[Buckskin86]

August 2, 2009
Questioning Vernon Gholston?s Passion
By Greg Bishop

CORTLAND, N.Y. ? The biggest question mark that has followed Vernon Gholston, the sixth overall pick in the 2007 draft who recorded 13 tackles in his rookie season with the Jets, has long been his desire, or passion, to play football.

Coach Rex Ryan addressed that in his Sunday news conference here at SUNY-Cortland, but while his answer was long and detailed, it was not exactly convincing. Ryan favorably ? and maybe mistakenly ? compared Gholston to Otis Wilson, a mainstay on the Chicago Bears famous 1985 defense.


Ryan gave two examples about Gholston that were meant to illustrate his passion. First, Ryan said that when punter Reggie Hodges boomed a 95-yarder on Saturday, Gholston sprinted all the way down field. Second, Ryan said Gholston ran through Nick Mangold, a Pro Bowl center, during practice.

Granted, Ryan?s time with Gholston has been limited. But those examples do not exactly scream passion, not for a sixth overall draft pick.

?We?ll see if Vernon can turn the corner in that way, in the perception of the general public? Ryan said. ?I?ve been challenging him every day to just run through things. He is a big, strong guy. He is a rock.?

Gholston spoke to reporters Saturday and said he felt no more pressure this season than he did last season.

?Obviously, there were drawbacks,? Gholston said. ?Did I do all I wanted to do? Probably not. But the biggest thing for me, I never look back on the past. I always look forward.?

He added: ?I know I can play. The coaches know I can play. It?s just all about like I said, getting in the defense, knowing what I?m in, knowing what I play, what I got going on and stepping up and doing it.?

Questioning Vernon Gholston’s Passion - The Fifth Down Blog - NYTimes.com

 

[Buckskin86]

Vernon Gholston(notes) is still not where the Jets want him to be, but they think he can get there. The team has seen enough of Gholston?s raw natural ability to know he can be an elite player in the NFL. Whether it is the speed he shows running down and covering kicks or the power he shows in certain pass rush drills, Gholston has the physical tools to be a dominant player.

What?s lacking at times is the fire and passion all elite rushers seem to have. The sense of urgency when Gholston is trying to get to the quarterback is not always evident, and one has to wonder if it will ever show up. In my experience, players either have it or they don?t.

?How am I supposed to look?? asked Gholston when questioned about whether or not he has the killer instinct or a hunger to get to the quarterback. ?I really don?t even know what that means or what people want me to be doing. Am I supposed to run around and do cartwheels after I make a tackle or something? When I am out here, I am in work mode and I just don?t see how jumping around helps that.?

Postcard from camp: Jets - NFL - Yahoo! Canada Sports

 

[OregonBuckeye]

?How am I supposed to look?? asked Gholston when questioned about whether or not he has the killer instinct or a hunger to get to the quarterback. ?I really don?t even know what that means or what people want me to be doing. Am I supposed to run around and do cartwheels after I make a tackle or something? When I am out here, I am in work mode and I just don?t see how jumping around helps that.?

Translation- Fuck off!

 

[sparcboxbuck]

Translation- Fuck off!

Made me think of this line...

"The hell I don't. LISTEN KID. I've been hearing that crap ever since I was at UCLA. I'm out there busting my buns every night. Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes. "

 

[matcar]

Made me think of this line...

"The hell I don't. LISTEN KID. I've been hearing that crap ever since I was at UCLA. I'm out there busting my buns every night. Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes. "

Airplane!

VG has much to prove this year...let's hope he finds his grove.