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COLUMBUS — Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Heacock had pushed all the motivational buttons, but he was beginning to write off Vernon Gholston as a high-talent enigma whose laid-back style was better suited for a more leisurely activity than football.

Like croquet.

The Buckeyes out-recruited Michigan for the chiseled defensive end. But Heacock didn't think the third-year sophomore from Detroit was much of a prize until watching him flourish in the spring. The 6-foot-4, 260-pounder, who wears No. 50, quickly seized a starting role and has been a disruptive force this year, recording 10 tackles and 2.5 sacks in the Buckeyes' first three games.

"He's been a surprise, and I'm real proud of him," Heacock said. "I wasn't sure he'd play this year — I'll be honest — and I told him that. But he improved so much from last fall until this spring. It's unbelievable.

"I never thought he'd do that. The light switch came on."

But the epiphany Heacock referred to actually was five years in the making.

Gholston never played organized sports until his sophomore year at Detroit Cass Technical High School, and he needed prodding even then to finally strap on a helmet.

"My head coach saw me walking in the hallway and said, 'Are you a parent here?' " Gholston recalled. "I said, 'No, I'm a student.' He was like, 'You've got to be kidding me.'

"He grabbed me and said, 'You're going to have to play for us.' I didn't capitalize on it then. But six months later, he took me in his office again and put me on the team."

Asked what his interests were before then, the well-spoken Gholston could only shrug.

"I didn't really know what I wanted to do," he said. "I went back and forth like a lot of kids do.

"I always liked being physical. I used to wrestle with my brother. But I didn't have any idea I'd be playing football."

The Buckeyes are certainly glad he's found his niche. They're tied for the Big Ten lead with 13 sacks, and the defensive line is engaging in a friendly competition to see who can bag the most quarterbacks.

Quinn Pitcock is the team sack leader with four. And although Gholston has a signature move that's serving him well, it's a closely guarded secret.

"I don't know if I want to reveal it," he said. "We have a couple opponents coming up, and I might want to use it then."

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125 or at dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com.