-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New Jet getting ready to take off Friday, October 10, 2008 BY J.P. PELZMAN, STAFF WRITER FLORHAM PARK ? When Calvin Pace looks at teammate Vernon Gholston, he sees all the tangibles and intangibles that enticed the Jets to select Gholston with the sixth overall pick in April?s draft. Pace also sees himself, more specifically the Calvin Pace from five years ago. Pace at that time was a highly touted rookie with Arizona, merely trying to carve out a niche for himself. It wasn?t easy. "Yes, I remember," he said Thursday with a weary smile. "It was a lot of bad days. It?s disheartening from that standpoint that you just came from college, you were an All-American, where you were just the guy that everybody leaned on and now you?re kind of struggling." Pace started all 16 games for the Cardinals in 2003, but had only one sack. Gholston, too, has had somewhat of a slow start to his NFL career. Playing in special situations and in sub packages, the outside linebacker has only one tackle, no sacks and one quarterback pressure through four games. He?ll try to improve on those numbers when the Jets host Cincinnati on Sunday. Gholston, however, earned plenty of praise from coach Eric Mangini on Thursday. His four special-teams tackles against Arizona earned him the Jets? in-house award for special teams player of the week. "We go through a process of selecting that guy," Mangini said. "Those aren?t gimmes. You?ve got to earn that and he did. I was proud of that fact, especially in an area he?s not familiar with. Now, defensively, we need to see that continued growth as well." After all, when the Jets signed Gholston to a five-year, $32 million contract with $21 million guaranteed, it wasn?t with the expectation that he would be a special-teams demon. Gholston had 14 sacks in 2007 as a junior at Ohio State, but that was as an end in a 4-3 defense. Now he?s an outside linebacker in a 3-4, which carries with it a lot more responsibilities than his previous position. "He?s doing all right," Pace said of Gholston. "We have a very difficult system from the standpoint that the outside linebacker position is asked to do a lot. It might be a little tough on him being that he hasn?t been in that position. He?s a rookie. A lot of people put too much pressure on rookies. ... It?s hard to ask a 21-, 22-year-old guy to go out there and have a Pro Bowl season." "He?s going to be fine," Pace added. Gholston has gotten plenty of advice and mentoring from both Pace and Bryan Thomas. Pace made the transition from end to linebacker in 2007 with Arizona, one year after Thomas made the same move with the Jets. "I talk to those guys constantly," Gholston said, "just about how they attack things and their thought process on different formations and different things we play in our defense. They give me the input but sometimes I?ve got to go out there and see it for myself." Gholston added that he hasn?t doubted himself, but there has been frustration. Still, he is quite upbeat. "Obviously, anytime you?re coming from your hand on the ground to playing on your feet it?s a big transition," Gholston said. "But I expected it to take a little time. I?ve made a lot of strides since the first day I put on the pads but I?ve still got a long ways to go." __________________
Newsday -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jets rookie Gholston off to slow startBY ERIK BOLAND | erik.boland@newsday.com October 10, 2008 FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Four weeks into his professional career, Vernon Gholston has four times as many special-teams tackles as defensive ones. And, everyone involved says, that's OK for now. When the Jets selected Gholston with the sixth overall pick in April's draft - and signed him to a five-year, $32.5-million contract ($21 million guaranteed) - it was acknowledged that his transition to outside linebacker from defensive end, his position at Ohio State, would be slow. It has been. "Any time you are coming from your hand on the ground to playing on your feet, it's a big transition," Gholston said. "I expected it to take a little time." Gholston has shined on special teams, even earning that unit's player of the week honor after recording four tackles Sept. 28 against the Cardinals. "I was proud of that fact, especially in an area he's not familiar with," coach Eric Mangini said of the award. "Now defensively, we need to see that continued growth as well." Looking back Playing the Bengals brings back memories - good and bad - for Brett Favre. He replaced Don Majkowski in the first quarter against the Bengals on Sept. 20, 1992, and led the Packers to a last-second victory, throwing a 35-yard TD pass to Kitrick Taylor with 13 seconds left that sparked a 24-23 victory. Favre started the next week against Pittsburgh, the beginning of a consecutive-starts streak that reaches 258 Sunday. "My first real, true test," Favre said. "It holds a special place for the reason that we won. I came in in relief and led us from behind. It really was the start of my career. I never sat out after that point." Favre is 3-1 in his career against the Bengals, with his most recent start - Oct. 30, 2005 - an unmitigated nightmare. The Packers lost, 21-14, as Favre threw five interceptions. Injury update RT Damien Woody missed his second straight day of practice because of what Mangini called "a cold." WR Laveranues Coles (thigh), NT Kris Jenkins (back) and CB Justin Miller (foot) were limited.
I'm optimistic about this kid. Not every 1st rounder plays his heart out on special teams. This shows solid character.
If his ST prowess is an indicator for things to come when he is plugged in the 3-4, i feel bad for QBs... I took notice of him on ST against the Cards, his tackles were fluid and had great timing, and he didn't half ass arm tackle anyone. One of the tackles he dove straight at the feet of the returner and tripped him up, as if he was Wallace Wright. It was a veteran move... Practice patience with this kid. His 1st sack this year will be a 9 page thread on "I told you so" and "it took him too long." Can't wait!
i like this point a lot. i was starting to lose faith in him but the fact that hes playing hard on special teams shows his resiliance. i am really hoping his career shadows mario williams (slow, questionable start from high pick, but develops into a beast of a player)
Now's the time, Vernon. Against a shoddy Bengals D, we should take an early lead in this game, forcing the Bengals into passing situations for most of the game. With Ryan Fitzpatrick behind center and a flimsy offensive line, this should be Gholston's first sack game. On another note, I hope we run the prevent defense so many of you have criticized and scorned for the entire year. Four down linemen, Gholston, Mosley, Pouha and Ellis. Just a four man rush throughout the second half. It hasn't worked yet, but I feel strongly that we should develop this defense. The reason it hasn't worked is because we're not getting pressure off the front four. Let them develop, let them grow, let them get better. If that front four develops pressure, picks will come. Have faith. We need a defense that will let us rest our NT and I have a strong feeling that later on in the year, we'll have a lot of early leads.
I get it, he's a Jet and he's going to take off. HAHAHAHah Man, I need a football game and some beer. Honestly, B. Thomas is doing so well I hope we don't see Gholston on the field hardly at all. Not because I hate VG but because I hope Thomas has 16 sacks this year.
How can anyone not say that there should be a rookie salary cap after reading Pace's comments, seeing him and Gholston play and then realizing that Gholston got more guaranteed money.
I don't think he is a bust yet - the step from college to NFL is huge - and he's still learning yet. Pace is the man to learn from and I'm sure (please!!) that Gholston will start to show what he can do later in the season.
Ummm. . . right. If it's all the same to the coaching staff, I'd just as soon have this kid NOT follow the lessons taught by a guy for who took four years to "get it."
and you base your opinion on what? The guy has not played in earnest yet. He is learning a new position. He had limited experience at OHIO STATE anyway and the Jets knew it when they drafted him. Have some patience and in time he will pay dividends and all you pundits will jump on board the Jet Express!
Only thing I truly wonder is if Pace and Thomas got to start out as 3-4 OLB's instead of 4-3 DE's, would they look as useless as Gholstone has. You don't expect a lot, but it's like can you see him bust up a running play or have to have two people block once!?!?! Standing straight up is all you see this guy going in the D.
i was not serious... sorry and for the record, i totally agree with you on being patient with him:beer:
Sorry KJ I think Belly outsmarted the genius on this by suggesting he would snag VG but all the time knowing he was going to draft Mayo who at this point is making VG look like a another NYJ #1 draft bust pick
^Interesting theory except that is it realistic to believe that VG would still have been on the board by the time NE picked?
give it a rest man. four games is way to early to call mayo a boom and on the flipside, gholston a bust.
