DaytonDailyNews.com

INDIANAPOLIS — Some NFL scouts see him as a pure end in a 4-3 defense.

Others envision him as an outside linebacker in the 3-4 scheme.

Everybody agrees: Ohio State's Vernon Gholston is a pass rusher ready to devour NFL quarterbacks for lunch at 1 o'clock on Sundays.

Playing the "Leo" or rush end position, Gholston set a Buckeyes single-season record with 14 sacks for minus-111 yards in 2007.

"I did 'em both in college," he said at the NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday, Feb. 23. "It's really wherever the team puts me. The biggest thing is I'm capable of playing both positions."

Gholston's comments were politically correct. Then he was asked his position preference, and the truth came out. He'd rather put his hand in the dirt.

"I love playing defensive end," he said. "I love getting after the quarterback and affecting the game that way."

Just the way the New York Giants pressured New England quarterback Tom Brady on their way to the Super Bowl crown.

"I know how big the defensive line is," Gholston added. "If you've got a front four that can control the game, you're destined for championships. That was proven, the way they were able to take advantage of their speed and get to the quarterback."

Gholston beat Michigan left offensive tackle Jake Long for a sack in Ohio State's 14-3 victory over the Wolverines on Nov. 17. It was one of only two sacks Long yielded in his career.

"That was a big battle for me," Gholston said. "I knew, 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."

How did Gholston beat Long?

"Just waited for the right moment," he said. "Nothing special, you know. Just speed. The biggest thing was speed."

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2253 or cludwig@DaytonDailyNews.com