This makes me profoundly sad

I do more Google searches for Vernon Gholston than the average Buckeye Fan (don’t judge!) and recently came across this article that made me sad.

Coach Rex Ryan doesn’t even bother to try to talk him up anymore and the media doesn’t even bother to ask. It’s getting harder and harder not to stamp linebacker Vernon Gholston a bust and move on.

Ouch.

Then just the other day I saw our buddies at Eleven Warriors had linked to this article from our own Ken Gordon at the Dispatch reiterating the same things.

“That’s still a work in progress, but I will say this: When we’re going back and looking at our cutups and things like that, I think this young man deserves a better chance,” Ryan said. “We need to give him more playing time.

That’s not quite as dire as a couple months ago, but it’s still disappointing.

I often wonder where motivation and drive come from for someone blessed with physical gifts beyond mere mortals (see: LeBron, Tiger, MJ, Vernon). It came so easy to Vernon at OSU (exhibit A, exhibit B). I wonder what has happened this far with Vernon. There’s no bigger fan of his than me and it pains me to see the current trajectory of his professional career. He doesn’t seem to have the drive he once had.

It’s obvious that at his point, at the highest level of competition, the blessed one has not produced. Not even a little bit. There’s no way to interpret his current production as anything other than major letdown. I’ve watched him play as a Jet when I could and never saw the fire or domination he had as a Buckeye. Maybe it was the system (going from a basic 4-3 in college to Rex Ryan’s confusing 3-4 blitz mania). Maybe it’s something else. At this point, we can just hope Ryan is able to light a fire under his rear end and he silences the critics in 2010.

What’s your take?

Comments

  1. Sylvester Yon-Rambo says

    it is simple he needs playing time plain and simple. If they dont want to play him trade him or cut him and let a team that wants him to pick him up and play him.

  2. I liked him at OSU (obviously), but lets not whitewash history. His work ethic was always in question at OSU as well. He should’ve set the Big Ten Single Season sack record, or at least been close. He also had issues going into the NFL as being a one trick pony and it’s obvious in his limited playing time he hasn’t bothered to develop any sort of repertoire of moves.

    I really don’t think his lack of playing time is why his production is so bad. I think his bad production is why he has a lack of playing time.

  3. Sylvester Yon-Rambo says

    I disagree how can you produce if you dont get to play. He has 3 Games started in 2 years. It was obvious as soon as the Jets drafted him they felt like they made a mistake. They refuse to play him and let him prove his abilities or lack there of and prefer to just shelve him and move on.

    Just let the guy play and see what he can do but to never give him a true chance is a shame.

  4. Obviously, you are unfamiliar with the coaching concept of “Watching players in practice.”

    If they aren’t playing him, there is a reason for it, not just because Rex Ryan doesn’t like him. They have everything to gain from Gholston producing, it’s a dumb idea to think they don’t give him playing time because they pre-determined 10 seconds after they drafted him and paid him a fortune that Gholston is a bust.

  5. @rogersworthe – I agree, his work ethic seemed to be “do enough to get by”, coupled with his freakish physique equated to “that guy is really good”. He could have been poop-in-your-pants unstoppable.

    @SYR – what makes you think the Jets think they made a mistake? He hasn’t produced when he’s on the field. If you get a chance to see him in a game, he hardly seems like his motor is even in second gear.

  6. Sylvester Yon-Rambo says

    I will qoute one famous Iverson…..

    Are we talking about practice ….. Practice really lol.

    I will say this though it is too soon to call him a draft bust…..

    You cant be clasified that until you are out of the league.

    I know tons of coaches who dont play people just cause they dont like them. Lots of good players get benched for stupid things. I dont know anymore about the situation than anyone else. I doubt any of us are in the practices and I do get to see more jets games than most since I was in Connecticut.

    Rogersworthe you quickly forget who has the record for most sacks in a season all time for OSU….. it is Vernon I am not sure what the all time big ten record is but it has to be close.

    So yeah maybe I want to give him too much benefit of the doubt because he was great here. But you arent giving him any benefit of the doubt. So lets meet in the middle and say he was great here and so far has sucked in the NFL but his career isnt over YET and I still think he will turn it around.

Trackbacks

  1. […] I mentioned a little while ago about the path his current career is taking and the outlook wasn’t particularly rosy. […]

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