GREEN & WHITE FOOTBALL

William Gholston: No regrets leaving MSU early for NFL

Chris Solari
Lansing State Journal
Tampa Bay defensive end William Gholston (92) gets the Buccaneers crowd pumped up against the Dallas Cowboys in November.

EAST LANSING – Before Shilique Calhoun wrapped his long arms around being the big man on Michigan State’s campus, William Gholston embraced that role as a college defensive star with just as much joy and as big of a smile.

It only lasted three years before Gholston left for the NFL and paved the way for Calhoun to take over his spot at defensive end.

When Gholston returned to MSU on Friday to work last weekend’s Spartan Elite camp, he was blown away by the changes. Not just to the improved facilities at Spartan Stadium, which elicited a “whoo!” from the Tampa Bay Buccanneers defensive end, but also by the Spartans’ success that has continued since he was there.

“I’m just extremely jealous, to be honest with you,” Gholston said. “I feel like we did have an opportunity to pave the way for everybody else. And they’ve got the ball rolling now. It’s exciting to watch.”

The former Detroit Southeastern High star was Mark Dantonio’s first five-star recruit, arriving in 2010 and immediately helping to jump-start Pat Narduzzi’s defense as a pass-rushing presence off the edge. Gholston earned second-team All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore and junior, compiling 142 tackles and 10 sacks in 36 career games. His 30 tackles for a loss rank 12th in school history.

Former MSU players in NFL return to coach Spartan Elite football camp

Unlike Calhoun, who stuck around for five seasons before heading to the NFL, Gholston chased his pro future early. He left after the Spartans’ offensively frustrating 2012 season in which the defense was among the school’s best ever.

Tampa Bay selected the 6-foot-6, 281-pound defensive end in the fourth round of the 2013 draft, and the 24-year-old has been a developing contributor to the Buccaneers’ front four since.

“The NFL, I feel, is going pretty good for me. I’m just taking my time and trying to make sure I produce. That’s really the biggest thing,” Gholston said. “I feel like the toughest thing for me when I was getting into the league was transitioning to the playbook. The workload, football-wise, the speed of the game didn’t necessarily change. It was just about how quick you can turn it over mentally.”

Tampa Bay defensive end William Gholston sacks Atlanta Falcons  quarterback Matt Ryan (2) in December, one of a career-high three sacks last season for the former MSU standout.

Gholston made 30 tackles as a rookie and 41 in his second season in Tampa Bay, getting two sacks each year. Last season, he set new career highs with 67 tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble while playing in all 16 games for the first time. He started 11 games in 2015, doubling his career total, and is projected to keep the starting job headed into his fourth preseason training camp next month.

“He comes to work, gives it his all every day. It’s crazy,” Gholston’s Tampa Bay teammate Gerald McCoy told reporters last fall. “You watch how hard he practices. And when he plays, you wouldn’t think he can go any harder than how he goes in practice, but he does. It’s incredible to watch. That’s going to keep him in the league for a long time.”

The ever-effervescent Gholston said he was excited to return to East Lansing last week, wishing he could do it more often. However, by leaving early, Gholston opened the door for Calhoun to take over his spot at defensive end in 2013.

Will Gholston plans youth camp Saturday

The Spartans won the Big Ten Championship and the Rose Bowl that season, which would have been Gholston’s swan song had he stayed. It remains a big  “what if” for him.

“You know what, man? If I had the opportunity to stay another year with all of my brothers, I might, just because of the camaraderie and the bond that you grow. Just having another year of memories here,” he said. “But I don’t feel like I made a mistake by entering the draft early and going to the NFL. I feel like I’m having a pretty good time and enjoying my life.”

Oakland Raiders draft MSU's Shilique Calhoun in round 3