Vernon Gholston facts for kids

Vernon Gholston (born June 5, 1986) is a former American football player. He played as a defensive end and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). Vernon played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. The New York Jets chose him sixth overall in the 2008 NFL draft. He also played for the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams.

Early Life and High School Football

Vernon Gholston grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He went to Cass Technical High School. In his final year, he became one of the best young players in the Midwest. He made 75 tackles as a linebacker. He also had six sacks. Vernon was also chosen for the All-State team as an offensive guard.

College Football Career

Vernon Gholston went to Ohio State University. In 2005, he had a broken left hand. This meant he had to redshirt his first year. A redshirt year means a player practices with the team but does not play in games. This helps them get stronger and learn the plays.

He started as a defensive end, even though he was recruited as a linebacker. He quickly moved up the team's depth chart.

Playing for Ohio State Buckeyes

In 2006, Vernon played in 13 games. He earned Second-team All-Big Ten honors. This means he was one of the best players in the Big Ten Conference. He made 49 tackles that year. He also had 18 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, which was the most on his team. He recorded 7.5 sacks. He also caught his first interception in a game against Bowling Green.

On November 3, 2007, Vernon had an amazing game. He tied two Ohio State records for sacks in one game. He sacked the Wisconsin quarterback four times. Two weeks later, he had three more sacks against the Michigan Wolverines. This helped Ohio State win their fourth game in a row against Michigan.

During the 2007 season, Vernon made 37 tackles. He set a new school record with 14 sacks in 13 games. This broke the old record of 13 sacks set by Mike Vrabel in 1995. He was named an All-America player by Pro Football Weekly. He was also First-team All-Big Ten.

Vernon started 25 games during his time at Ohio State. He finished with 87 tackles. He also had 22.5 sacks, which is the sixth-highest in Ohio State history.

College Awards and Honors

Vernon received many awards for his great play in college:

• 2007 College Football All-America Team (Pro Football Weekly)
• 2007 Big Ten Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year
• 2007 All-Big Ten Conference First-team
• 2006 All-Big Ten Conference Second-team

Professional Football Career

Vernon Gholston decided to enter the 2008 NFL draft. Many experts thought he would be one of the first 10 players chosen. At the NFL Combine, he showed how strong he was. He tied for the most repetitions in the bench press test. He lifted 225 pounds 37 times!

New York Jets (2008–2010)

The New York Jets picked Vernon Gholston in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He was the sixth player chosen overall. The Jets wanted him to play outside linebacker in their 3–4 defense. They liked his speed, strength, and long arms. They believed he would be a great player for them.

Vernon signed a 5-year contract with the Jets. However, he did not play much in his first year. He mostly played on special teams. He made 13 tackles. In his second year (2009), he made 17 tackles. After the 2009 season, he changed positions. He moved from outside linebacker back to defensive end.

The New York Jets released Vernon on March 2, 2011. He had played three seasons with the team.

Later Teams

After leaving the Jets, Vernon Gholston signed with the Chicago Bears on July 29, 2011. However, the Bears waived him (released him) on August 29, 2011.

The St. Louis Rams then signed Vernon on August 22, 2012. But the Rams also waived him on August 31, 2012.

NFL Statistics

Vernon Gholston played in 45 NFL games during his career. He made a total of 42 tackles.

Family Connections

Vernon Gholston has a younger cousin named William Gholston. William is also a defensive end. He plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL.