Vernon Gholston's 37-rep performance in the bench press at this year's Combine is a perfect representation of his personality.
Blue collar. Soft-spoken. Hard-working.
Wearing the green and white gear of defensive linemen, Gholston eased over to the bench and slid under the bar with plain-faced focus (video).
The Ohio State star then put up 30 smooth reps. Just his breath and counting broke the air in an otherwise silent room. The calm disappeared as the defensive end neared the end of his show; he forced another seven reps as coaches started encouragement.
It was a solid performance by a player who saw his first-round draft stock start to rise at the Scouting Combine. But he simply described his total as "an acceptable number."
It's hard to please Gholston, who was once kicked out of high school football practice for "not being tough enough."
Maybe that's why he's not about to accept any praise as he moves up the leader board among defensive linemen in the 2008 NFL Draft. After a 14-sack junior season, including a three-sack game against bitter rival Michigan, Gholston opted to move into the pro ranks. He didn't play football -- or excel in any organized sport -- until his sophomore year of high school, but his measurables and college dominance are enough to earn him a likely top-10 selection in the Draft.
According to NFLDraftScout.com, Gholston was tops on the team with a 455 bench press last season. The 255-pounder has also been clocked at 4.56 seconds in the 40-yard dash (4.67 at the Scouting Combine).
He leaves Columbus with 25 starts and 22.5 sacks. He also has a fumble return for a touchdown to his credit.
"I felt like it was my time," Gholston said when asked about leaving school early. "I had a great career at Ohio State. Of course there were family issues, but also I thought about my teammates. There were a lot of guys who weren't able to play as much this year as they wanted because guys like me, James Laurinaitis (and) other guys were on the field. It gives them a chance to get out there and play."
The move also gives the All-American a chance to conquer a position in the NFL. He's projected as a 3-4 linebacker or a 4-3 defensive end. He played linebacker in high school and it's easy to envision his speed and physical skills taking shape in the open field.
Gholston doesn't have a preference, but it's easy to see his passion for the defensive line.
"I love playing defensive end," he said in late February. "I love getting after the quarterback and affecting the game that way. But, at the end of the day, whatever the team that picks me wants (I'll play)."
Later, in an online chat on ESPN.com, Gholston talked of his versatility and how he prides himself on "doing the dirty work" as a defensive lineman. That work included a victory over top-ranked offensive tackle Jake Long -- a sack in last year's game against Michigan.
It was one of only two sacks allowed by Long in his four-year career.
The story has almost become legendary in the Draft discussion about Gholston.
"That was a big battle for me," Gholston said. "I know, going back to the previous year, he was tough competition. He kicked back in pass protection and it was tough for me to get around him. So coming into the game, I really focused on that and learned some new techniques to get better hands on him, and it worked."
Gholston reportedly met with 25 teams at the Scouting Combine -- further proof that his versatility crosses defensive schemes and coaching styles.
Any team, however, can rest assured of the hard-working approach in his game. With that, he'll cause plenty of cheers.
And maybe some silence in opposing stadiums by way of a few quarterback sacks.
RELATED LINKS:
- MYFALCONSDRAFT:Rank draft prospects at MyFalconsDraft.com
- D-LINE: Previewing the defensive line
- PHOTOS: Photos of some of the 2008 NFL Draft prospects
- NFL DRAFT: Draft coverage from AtlantaFalcons.com
- SCOUTING COMBINE: AF.com at the Scouting Combine
- SENIOR BOWL: AF.com at the Senior Bowl
