"Vernon Gholston knows all about the numbers. Most of them he would prefer to forget.

Start with being the No. 6 overall pick in the 2008 draft, playing 15 games and managing just four tackles on defense, one of which was solo.

Those are not good numbers.

This season, his second in the NFL, Gholston has changed his number -- from No. 56 to No. 50, which previously was worn by the departed Eric Barton.

Hopefully for Gholston and the Jets, who invested so much in him, his performance will change, too.

With starting linebacker Calvin Pace suspended for the first four games of the regular season, Rex Ryan quickly named Gholston the starter, so there will be a bright spotlight on how much better he is this year than last.

"Losing Calvin is big. It puts pressure on not only myself, but other linebackers to step up," Gholston said. "I'd definitely got to step in and be a starter. Whatever happens after the four games happens.""