Can Instinct Be Imitated?

Despite Gholston getting a Tackle for Loss, some pressure and a few tackles in the game, some of Ryan’s effusive offseason praise of Gholston might have gotten toned down a bit. A moment after praising rookie linebacker Jamaal Westerman for getting a sack in his first NFL game, Ryan declined to gush when asked to assess the game Gholston had against the Texans, calling his performance “up and down.” “He played well at times,” Ryan said, before urging Gholston to play with more fire and anger. “He did a lot of good things. He helped cause a number of hits on the quarterback. He was able to push the pocket a little bit. There were other times where I would have liked to see him jump on a pile. If there’s a piece of fabric that you can hit before that guy is down, then go take a shot at him.” But is that something that a player can “learn” to do? Isn’t it called “killer instinct” for that very reason? It...