Mini-camps are underway and training camps are right around
the corner. Vernon Gholston, Larry Grant and Kirk Barton, the three Buckeyes
drafted in the 2008 NFL draft are preparing for a very different and difficult
life in professional football.
By Eric Geier
#6 Vernon
Gholston- Gholston is the only Jets draft pick who has not been able to
make it to the rookie minicamp or OTA (organized team activity) workouts. Head coach Eric Mangini explained, “ The rule
is you can’t come in till your class graduates or you complete your finals and
have permission from your university.” He also went on to say, “Vernon, being an early
out, is held to the graduation date. It’ll be a little while till we see him.” Ohio State
final exams run from June 2nd to June 5th, so Gholston
should be available to the New York Jets sometime thereafter. The Jets look
forward to getting Gholston in the line-up and hope that he can become an
immediate starter.
#214 Larry Grant- Larry Grant was ecstatic when he
learned that his favorite team, the San
Francisco 49ers had drafted him. Now, the euphoria of
that moment is gone and he is thrust into camps with the veterans who are all
fighting for a starting spot on the team. Grant has spent most of his time
riding the pine, watching the veterans prepare, but he occasionally gets some
action at the inside linebacker position where he must shed fullbacks and
O-lineman to make a play on the ball. Grant will be battling veterans
Dontarrious Thomas and Jeff Ulbrich for the starting spot. Most within the
organization expect Grant to be a major contributor on special teams as he
works his way up to a starting linebacker position. Still, some coaches think
Grant has the opportunity to win the job despite being the smallest linebacker
in the group at 235 pounds. “It doesn’t matter what stature you have as long as
you have that six-inch punch,” explained defensive coordinator Greg Manusky. When
reporters asked Larry Grant if he would consider a move to middle linebacker if
the opportunity arose, he said, “That’s all right with me, I like getting
dirty.”
#247 Kirk Barton- Many people thought Barton would go
in the 4th or 5th roundof the NFL draft but injuries he
suffered turned out to be a huge factor in being picked #247. His freshman year
he had to undergo shoulder surgery and sat out some games because of knee
problems. Barton had a strong Senior Bowl but he suffered another injury on to his
knee in that game. He was able to recover quickly from the injury quickly
enough to attend the rookie minicamp that was held May 2nd-4th.
He was also present at this weeks OTA workouts. Though Barton hasn’t had any
newsworthy performances, many Bears fans regard Barton as a quality pick.
Taking a glimpse at the Bears message boards, threads about Barton praise him
as a strong, fiery player, but they worry how Barton’s body will hold up in the
NFL.