Vernon Gholston - #50 - LB - Ohio State - Profile

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

◊ Named team’s Special Teams Player of the Week after totaling four special teams tackles vs. ARI, 9/28/08.

CAREER TRANSACTIONS

◊ 4/26/08, NYJ, D1 (6)

SEASON-BY-SEASON REVIEW

◊ 2008 (JETS) Played in 15 games…Contributed five tackles, one quarterback hurry and 12 special teams tackles…Recovered one onsides kick…Inactive vs. BUF, 12/14. SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: (9/28 vs. ARI)…Named Jets Special Teams Player of the Week after producing four special teams tackles. (9/22 at SD)…Recovered onsides kick on special teams.

BEFORE THE NFL

◊ Played in 34 games with 25 starts and finished his career with 87 tackles, 22.5 sacks 30.5 tackles-for-loss, one interception and one fumble recovery in 34 games at Ohio State.

◊ Established school single-season record with 14 sacks as a senior in 2007 and ranks fifth in school history with 22.5 career sacks…Tied school record with four sacks vs. Wisconsin, 11/3/07.

◊ Named Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year by coaches, chosen all-Big Ten by coaches and media and selected a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award following his senior campaign in 2007…Second-team Walter Camp and AP All America choice…Started 12 of the 13 games and accumulated 37 tackles, 14 sacks and 15.5 tackles-for loss and one fumble recovery.

◊ Earned second-team all-Big Ten honors as a junior in 2006…Started all 13 games and recorded 49 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 15 tackles-for-loss, one interception.

◊ Attended Cass Technical HS in Detroit where he played football for Head Coach Thomas Wilcher.

◊ Earned all-state honors as an offensive lineman as a senior, but also utilized at linebacker, where he recorded 75 tackles with six sacks in his only high school season on defense.

◊ Began playing football as a sophomore where he was first utilized at linebacker before being switched to offensive guard, where he played exclusively his junior season.

OFF THE FIELD

◊ Gholston’s father, Vernon, died in 1999 from pneumonia after battling Multiple Sclerosis for seven years. Gholston helped care for his father while his mother, Cheryl Gholston, worked on the General Motors assembly line.

◊ Credits his high school defensive coordinator, Charleston Fobbs, with helping him develop the mentality to want to be the best.

◊ Wore #56 his rookie season before switching to #50 for 2009 when it became available.