Article published March 09, 2008
Barton, Gholston get second chance to strut stuff
By MATT MARKEY
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
COLUMBUS - There must be something to that "comforts of home" stuff. A couple of Ohio State football players headed for the pros likely gave themselves a future salary upgrade with strong performances here on Pro Day - their best opportunity to enhance their draft status.
Offensive tackle Kirk Barton and defensive end Vernon Gholston, who both were not satisfied that they had adequately demonstrated their abilities at the recent National Football League Scouting Combine, got a second chance on Friday when the pro scouts came to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center - the epicenter of the Buckeyes' football program.
Barton, who had suffered a knee injury during practice before the Senior Bowl that required arthroscopic surgery in late January, was less than 100 percent at the NFL Combine. Barton (6-5, 303) was not able to take part in all of the workouts there, and posted an undistinguished 5.28 seconds time in the 40-yard dash, one of the primary gauges pro scouts use to rate prospects.
After a little more healing and some technique-specific work with Ohio State's Eric Lichter, the director of football performance for the Buckeyes, Barton ripped off a 4.95 seconds 40 while functioning in the spotlight of Pro Day.
At the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, only
Jeremy Zuttah of Rutgers had posted a sub-five seconds 40-yard dash (4.99) among the offensive linemen."I was a little disappointed with my performance at the combine, so today was really exciting," Barton said after his Pro Day workout. "I feel like I really stepped up. I hope to get some individual workouts (with interested NFL teams)."
Barton, who moved into a starting role with the Buckeyes for the final seven games of his freshman season (2004) and became a rare four-year starter on the line, was an all-Big Ten Conference pick the last two years. Barton, who started in four straight wins over rival Michigan, said he was concerned that the minor injury prior to the Senior Bowl would cause him to slide down the draft chart.
"Anytime you have surgery, the scouts want to make sure you're back," said Barton, who was also able to complete the shuttle workouts he had to skip in Indianapolis. "I had three weeks of training and I feel great. I feel 100 percent."
Gholston, an All-American from Detroit who is leaving Ohio State with a year of eligibility remaining, had wowed the pro scouts at the NFL Combine with his physical strength, lifting 225 pounds 37 times in the bench press. Of the more than 300 college players taking part in the combine, Gholston's bench press was matched only by Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long.
Gholston likely bumped up his value in the eyes of the talent scouts in his vertical leap and his 40-yard dash time on Pro Day.
Gholson (6-4, 260) had been the best among the defensive linemen at the NFL Combine with a 35.5-inch leap, but he went 42 inches at the Ohio State Pro Day. After posting a 4.67 time in Indianapolis, fourth-best among defensive ends, Gholston ran a 4.58 on Friday. Marcus Howard of Georgia ran a 4.45 at the combine, best among the defensive linemen.
"I am not surprised with my performances," said Gholston. "I have been working hard. It's what you put in it to get what you get out of it."
Gholston, who has been projected as high as a top 10 pick in the April 26-27 NFL Draft, said his intention on Pro Day was to increase his value with potential future employers.
"I want to go as high as I can go," Gholston said. "I know what I can do, and I feel my numbers are good enough. It was a good day."
Gholston, the Big Ten defensive lineman of the year last season as he helped give the Buckeyes the nation's top-ranked defense, said it will be difficult to leave Ohio State, but he looks forward to playing wherever the NFL Draft might take him.
"I love being here," said Gholston, who has been with the Buckeyes for four years, earning a medical red shirt for the 2005 season after suffering a broken hand in the first game. "It's going to be interesting to get myself established with a new team and a new organization."
Also taking part in the Ohio State Pro Day workouts were Tyler Whaley, who played both center and fullback for the Buckeyes, and linebacker Larry Grant, the 2005 national junior college player of the year at City College of San Francisco who played the last two seasons at Ohio State.\\
Contact Matt Markey at: mmarkey@theblade.com or 419-724-6510.
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