No. 92 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |||||||||||||||
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Position: | Defensive end | ||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||
Born: | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | July 31, 1991||||||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||||||||||||||
Weight: | 281 lb (127 kg) | ||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||
High school: | Southeastern (Detroit, Michigan) | ||||||||||||||
College: | Michigan State (2010–2012) | ||||||||||||||
NFL draft: | 2013 / round: 4 / pick: 126 | ||||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||||
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Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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Career NFL statistics as of Week 6, 2024 | |||||||||||||||
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William Gholston (born July 31, 1991) is an American professional football defensive end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan State, and was selected by the Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL draft. [1]
A native of Detroit, Michigan, Gholston attended Mumford High School in Detroit, where he was a USA Today High School All-American in 2008. For his senior year, he transferred to Southeastern High School. [2] He recorded a career-best 115 tackles as a senior, with 44 resulting in losses including 7 sacks, and also forced 10 fumbles and blocked two punts.
Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, he was rated as the third best strong side defensive end in the nation. [3] He accepted a scholarship from Michigan State University over offers from Michigan and Ohio State.
Gholston enrolled in Michigan State University, and played for the Michigan State Spartans football team from 2010 to 2012. [4] As a freshman in 2010, he saw action in the first 10 games of the 2010 season before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury against Minnesota. He recorded 13 tackles and five quarterback hurries. In 2011, he became a full-time starter for the Spartans. He led the Spartan defensive linemen with 70 tackles and finished tied for seventh in the Big Ten Conference with 16.0 tackles for loss (50 yards); that total also ranks tied for seventh in MSU single-season history, and he also was tied for 11th in the Big Ten with 5.0 sacks (30 yards). He tied a Spartan-bowl record with 5.0 tackles for loss (16 yards), including a career-best 2.0 sacks (10 yards), in the 33–30 triple overtime win against No. 18 Georgia in the 2012 Outback Bowl, and garnered all-conference second team honours. As a junior in 2012, he led the Spartan defensive linemen and ranked fourth on the team with 59 tackles. He also led the team and ranked eighth in the Big Ten with 13.0 tackles for loss (49 yards), and led the team with 4.5 sacks (24 yards).
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
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6 ft 6+1⁄4 in (1.99 m) | 281 lb (127 kg) | 34 in (0.86 m) | 10+3⁄8 in (0.26 m) | 4.96 s | 1.75 s | 2.89 s | 4.59 s | 7.20 s | 28.5 in (0.72 m) | 9 ft 2 in (2.79 m) | 23 reps | |
All values from NFL Combine [5] [6] |
On January 3, 2013, Gholston announced he would forgo his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL draft. [7] On April 27, 2013, Gholston was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round with the 126th overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft. [8] The Buccaneers previously acquired the pick used to select Gholston from the New England Patriots in a trade that sent Aqib Talib to New England. Gholston signed his contract on May 14, 2013, and his four-year deal is worth $2,560,544; it included a $400,544 signing bonus.
He finished his rookie season in 2013 as a rotational player earning 30 combined tackles (14 solo) and two quarterback sacks. [9]
In 2014, he became the team's starter at left end for the defensive line when an injury to Adrian Clayborn put Clayborn on the IR list ending his season. He eventually lost the starting job to waiver wire pick up Jacquies Smith and was relegated to rotational duties for the remainder of the 2014 season. He finished the year with 41 combined tackles (27 solo) and two quarterback sacks. [10]
Gholston played in all 16 games while starting 11 in 2015. He amassed 67 tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble from his defensive end position. [11] In 2016, he recorded 49 tackles, three sacks, and one forced fumble. [12]
On March 6, 2017, Gholston signed a five-year contract extension with the Buccaneers. [13] [14]
Gholston was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on November 4, 2020, [15] and activated three days later. [16] Gholston played in all four games in the Buccaneers' playoff run that resulted in the team winning Super Bowl LV. [17] [18]
On March 24, 2022, Gholston re-signed with the Buccaneers. [19] He played in 17 games with nine starts, recording 49 tackles. [20]
Gholston re-signed with the Buccaneers on July 25, 2023. [21]
Legend | |
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Bold | Career high |
Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
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GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
2013 | TAM | 12 | 2 | 30 | 14 | 16 | 2.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2014 | TAM | 15 | 9 | 42 | 28 | 14 | 2.0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2015 | TAM | 16 | 11 | 67 | 47 | 20 | 3.0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2016 | TAM | 14 | 14 | 49 | 37 | 12 | 3.0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
2017 | TAM | 14 | 10 | 36 | 21 | 15 | 0.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2018 | TAM | 16 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2019 | TAM | 16 | 8 | 38 | 26 | 12 | 1.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2020 | TAM | 16 | 12 | 44 | 24 | 20 | 3.0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
2021 | TAM | 17 | 10 | 36 | 21 | 15 | 4.5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2022 | TAM | 17 | 9 | 49 | 24 | 25 | 0.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
2023 | TAM | 16 | 1 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career | 169 | 88 | 420 | 259 | 161 | 19.5 | 58 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
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GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
2020 | TAM | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2021 | TAM | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2022 | TAM | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2023 | TAM | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
9 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
He is a cousin of former Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Vernon Gholston. [22]
Just prior to the start of the 2021 NFL season, Gholston started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Professor Cassio Cardosi and has used the martial art to help prepare for the season. [23]
Jamael Orondé "Ronde" Barber is an American former professional football cornerback who spent his entire 16-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). Barber grew up in Roanoke, Virginia, and played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers, earning third-team All-American honors twice.
Derrick Dewan Brooks is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for his entire 14-year career in the National Football League (NFL) with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brooks played college football for the Florida State Seminoles, earning consensus All-American honors twice. He was selected by the Buccaneers in the first round of the 1995 NFL draft. An 11-time Pro Bowl selection and five-time first-team All-Pro, Brooks was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2002 en route to winning the franchise's first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXVII. Following his retirement, Brooks served as co-owner and president of the Tampa Bay Storm in the Arena Football League (AFL) from 2011 to 2017. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
Lawrence Edward Foote Jr. is an American football coach and former player who currently serves as the pass game coordinator and inside linebackers coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the linebackers coach for the Arizona Cardinals. Foote was a college football All-American for the Michigan Wolverines, and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL draft. He also played briefly for the Detroit Lions and the Arizona Cardinals. In total, Foote played in the NFL as a linebacker for 13 seasons and earned two Super Bowl rings with the Steelers, Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII.
Anthony Darelle "Booger" McFarland is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Louisiana State University and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft. McFarland also played for the Indianapolis Colts, and won two Super Bowl rings in his career: one with the Buccaneers and another with the Colts. He was an analyst for Monday Night Football in 2018 and 2019, before joining as a pregame analyst on Monday Night Countdown in 2020.
Gerald Keith McCoy Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners, earning consensus All-American honors. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the third overall pick of the 2010 NFL draft. McCoy has been selected to the Pro Bowl six times, and was selected to one First-team All-Pro.
Aqib Talib is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Kansas, where he received consensus All-American honors, and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2008 NFL draft. Talib also played for the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, and Los Angeles Rams, winning Super Bowl 50 with Denver. In 2020, he made his debut as an analyst for NFL on Fox.
Vernon Gholston is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was selected sixth overall by the New York Jets in the 2008 NFL draft. Gholston was also a member of the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams.
Robert Ayers is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for 10 years in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers and was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft. He also played for the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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Lavonte Lamar David is an American professional football linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, twice earning All-American honors, and was selected by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft. Since entering the NFL, David has been named to three All-Pro teams, one Pro Bowl and won Super Bowl LV during the 2020 season, in a 31–9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Christopher Deshun Jones is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs and was selected by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft. Jones is a three-time Super Bowl champion, a five-time All-Pro member, and a five-time Pro Bowler.
Trey Hendrickson is an American professional football defensive end for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida Atlantic, and was selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints.
Tevita Tuliʻakiʻono Tuipulotu Mosese Vaʻhae Fehoko Faletau Vea, otherwise known as Vita Vea, is an American professional football nose tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Washington Huskies and was selected by the Buccaneers in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft. Vea won Super Bowl LV with the team over the Kansas City Chiefs, and was selected to the Pro Bowl the following year.
Jordan Tyler Whitehead is an American professional football safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Pittsburgh.
Devin Marcel White is an American professional football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fifth overall in the 2019 NFL draft. He spent five seasons with the Buccaneers and won a Super Bowl championship with the team in Super Bowl LV.
Jamel Dean is an American professional football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Auburn.
Antoine Duane Winfield Jr. is an American professional football safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Minnesota Golden Golphers, earning unanimous All-American honors. Winfield was selected by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft.