If Sunday's Super Bowl showed us anything, it's that you always have a chance if you put pressure on the quarterback.

Enter Vernon Gholston.

Ohio State's defensive end had 14 sacks during his senior season, good enough for third in the nation. Gholston's performance makes him a likely first-round pick after electing to skip his senior season with the Buckeyes.

To get a better handle on what kind of player Gholston is, I called on Ken Gordon, an Ohio State beat writer for The Columbus Dispatch.

Q: What about Gholston will impress NFL teams?

A: His body. The man is a physical freak of nature. His veins just bulge out of his arms. He’s sculpted, with like 5 percent body fat, and he can bench press 455 pounds. I expect he’ll be a hit at the combine.

Q: What were the major factors in Gholston's decision to skip his senior season?

A: He had been here four years, having redshirted due to injury in 2005. He followed up a solid 2006 (8.5 sacks, second-team all-Big Ten) with a dominating 2007 (14 sacks, Big Ten defensive lineman of the year). He played in two straight national-title games. He probably felt he had nothing left to prove. Plus, his father passed away years ago and I’m sure he wants to support his mother.

Q: Describe the "Leo" position that Gholston played at Ohio State. How was he against the run?

A: Leo is OSU’s name for a hybrid rush-drop defensive end. They run a fair amount of zone blitz, and sometimes the Leo drops into coverage. It’s sort of like what Mike Vrabel does for New England, kind of a big, versatile outside linebacker-type. Or Adalius Thomas. Gholston was solid against the run, nothing spectacular. He doesn’t miss many tackles, and his strength is chasing to the outside. He’s got speed.

Q: Describe Gholston's personality. What is he like off the field, and what was his relationship like with teammates, coaches and the media?

A: He’s kind of a different bird, personality-wise. He’s very pleasant, but very quiet and kind of a loner. For instance, he lived with a woman, but she is not his girlfriend. Just different, not a typical jock. When the majority of the team gathered at the team meeting room Dec. 1 to watch the West Virginia-Pitt and Missouri-Oklahoma games (which decided OSU’s bowl fate), Gholston was one of the few players not there. Never any problems off the field or any squabbles with the media, just very reserved and private.

Q: The Big Ten has had several NFL-caliber offensive tackles during the past few seasons -- Wisconsin's Joe Thomas, Penn State's Levi Brown, Michigan's Jake Long. Has Gholston gone head-to-head with any of those guys, and if so, how did he perform?

A: He never faced Joe Thomas. Wisconsin was off OSU’s schedule in 2005 and 2006. In 2006 against Levi Brown, Gholston had a sack. Against Long, he had no sacks in 2006, and absolutely destroyed Long in 2007 (see my answer to the last question).

Q: Is it true that Gholston didn't start playing football until he was a sophomore in high school? What made him want to pick up the sport?

A: True. Gholston apparently was really into weightlifting and not team sports. As I said, he’s just a bit different. His high school coach spotted him in the hall freshman year and thought he was a kid’s parent. He looked so big and mature. When he found out Gholston was a student, he sort of begged and pleaded until the kid agreed to play football. So he was still sort of raw when he got to Ohio State, instinct-wise.

Q: What was Gholston's signature moment at Ohio State?

A: Last season at Michigan. Coming off a loss, OSU needed to win at its archrival in order to clinch a Big Ten title and Rose Bowl berth (of course, they ended up with more, but they didn’t think they would at the time). The Buckeyes won, 14-3, and held Michigan to 91 total yards, thanks in part to a banged-up Chad Henne and Mike Hart. Working mostly against Long, Gholston had three of OSU’s four sacks, including his final one, midway through the fourth quarter. Gholston beat Long so quickly and got to Henne so fast that it surprised both players. Gholston didn’t even have time to get his arms up, he simply chest-bumped Henne to the turf. It was a dominant performance in a big game.

More on Gholston

ESPN.com lists him at 6-foot-3 5/8, 255 pounds. Mel Kiper Jr. has Gholston ranked as the ninth-best player available:

He took his play to a new level in 2007, showcasing the explosiveness to overpower offensive tackles at the point of attack. Gholston also has excellent closing speed, as evidenced by the 14 sacks he registered. He also has the versatility to play with his hand off the ground.

Kiper has the Jets selecting Gholston with the No. 6 pick in his most recent mock draft. So does ESPN.com's Todd McShay:

This seems a bit high right now for Gholston, who flashes top-10 talent in many games (see: three sacks against Michigan) but disappears in too many others. Don't be surprised, however, if he works his way into the top-10 mix by the time April rolls around. Gholston is the best edge-rushing prospect in the class and we all know the premium NFL teams place on those players. He would be an excellent addition at rush linebacker for a Jets defense that is in need of some perimeter heat out of its 3-4 front.

Scouts, Inc. has Gholston ranked as the No. 8 player overall.

ESPN.com's McShay says Gholston's biggest strength is his combination of power, quickness and motor. He says Gholston's biggest negative is his smaller frame. It's probably worth noting that the Buckeyes recruited Gholston as a linebacker.

Here's what Gholston told our interviewee Ken about his quiet demeanor during the past season:

"I get fired up, but it will be more subtle than anything. My emotion comes from pride and going out there trying to dominate. … I have my moments, too. I don't get as riled up as [Ohio State teammate] Malcolm [Jenkins], but I go out there and have intensity."

And finally, I'm sure the part in the Q&A about Gholston living with a female roommate who's not his girlfriend caught your attention. Here's the story from the Dayton Daily News. Apparently the roommate was a licensed massage therapist. Here's what Gholston said:

"It's a good living situation. I know my role, and she knows her role. I take out the trash, and she does the dishes."

For previous profiles on Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, Boise State offensive tackle Ryan Clady and Virginia defensive end Chris Long, click here.

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