Dear Jets Fans: Fed Up with Vernon Gholston? Take a Closer Look

Everyday I read or hear a new article on how the NY Jets' '08 first-round pick is a huge bust. Everyday I read or hear that he hasn't performed up to the monstrous potential they saw in his 6'3", 264lbs. frame.

If the same people who say this are the same people who believe that he will never amount to anything in the NFL, they really need to pop in a few dvd's of his college game-tape. Over his nearly three-year college football career, he only improved upon his statistics every season.

I challenge everyone to seriously sit down and take a closer look at the natural pass-rusher named Vernon Gholston.

Anyone who watched him as a hybrid defensive end for the Ohio State Buckeyes saw him succeed and physically dominate very impressive pro-style offenses in the Big Ten conference.

I watch a good number of games each year in that conference due to a number of my friends living in the locales of PA (Pennsylvania), OH (Ohio) and MI (Michigan).

Therefore, the games I DO watch are often Penn State Nittany Lions, Pittsburgh Panthers, Ohio State Buckeyes, and the Michigan Wolverines.

Lemme toss out an example, just for arguments sake. Vernon Gholston and the rest of the Buckeye defense goes head to head against another Big Ten big each and every year. The team they go against has a long standing tradition in football excellence. This team is Michigan.

Prior to last year, the year when Gholston got drafted, Gholston went up against a very very good offensive lineman, so good in fact that he went No. 1 overall in the draft. His name was Jake Long, current star lineman of the Miami Dolphins.

The statistics speak for themselves. Chad Pennington, the Miami Dolphin's current QB, threw 19 TDs to only three INT last year. He also had a QB rating of 97.4, the highest rating for a starting QB in the NFL last season.

Jake Long was good enough to immediately start and be part of a offensive line that collectively gave up only 24 sacks on Pennington all season.

OK, backing up to both of their college days. As I was saying, Vernon Gholston played Jake Long and the Wolverines at least once every year during his time at Ohio State.

Jake Long was only beaten directly once all season during his 2007 campaign. The person who got that vaunted sack against him?

Vernon Gholston.

In reality, his slow progression to the speed of playing in the NFL has a lot more to do with his transition from star DE for Ohio State to Back-up and Special-teams OLB for the NY Jets. It's not as easy as most people think to just change from a position that someone has played for probably his entire football life.

The difference between thinking about what to do/reacting and acting on impulse because it's become ingrained in your entire being is immeasurable.

The difference between winning and losing is a matter of inches and seconds. I believe Al Pacino said something right along those lines in the famous football film, Any Given Sunday.

Watching a play develop and having to think about what to do in response can take precious seconds that could have been used to speed to the area where the football is going to be.

Give him some more time, perhaps another year or two to develop into the star linebacker that the NY Jets need. After that, if he still hasn't blossomed into the player that a man of his stature, strength and innate physical gifts should be, give him the off-season boot.

At that point I'm sure Head Coach Rex Ryan will be more than happy, too.

-Michael ([e-mail], not a Jets fan, but believe's that Rex Ryan will do wonders for Vernon Gholston's career. You heard it here first.)

For a more in-depth look at Vernon Gholston's college career, here are some www.youtube.com web-links to take a gander at:

1.  Gholston Tackling Ability

2. Chad Henne Sacked

3. Gholston Highlight Reel