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Brian Cushing #56 - Texans 1st Rd. pick

nunusguy said:
Body language doesn't lie and the BL of him and his whole entourage was "this sucks". Let me see now, Chargers were picking immediately after us and maybe he thought he was just 1 team away from staying in SoCal ?Too bad, you're a 22 or 23 year old multimillioniare now (while millions of other people are losing thier jobs in this economy and many will be depending on unemplymenbt comp to feed them and thier dependants), and you'll just have to go to a city that was less than you're top choice to do for a living what you love to do.
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Wouldn't that be ironic if the Chargers were going to pick him if we didn't. And if our back up plan was Larry English!? It'd be Brown/Cason all over again!
 
HoustonFrog said:
Again, I'm not being negative...but as to your question why not?Because Dunta wasn't an injury concern. I just hear a guy has "little" stuff every year in college and then he is moving on to bigger and stronger competition and it is a real concern. Especially for a guy who does like to stick his nose in there. I like the motor and the hard work. You can't beat that. I just think if a guy has problems in college with tweaks then bigger and faster guys may bang him up more. Just a real concern for someone you are spending on #15 on.
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I really like the pick...but honestly, you're right....

The injury history is a concern.
 
Polo said:
I really like the pick...but honestly, you're right....

The injury history is a concern.
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Schaub's ass was injured a lot, but he got a pass from the Homer Squad around here. Give Cushing a chance. If he is available as much as Schaub has been, what the hell is the gripe here?

Boo hoo, a UT guy got picked before we could pick him. And the Saints picked up a CB right before us. Someone call the police.

The boards on draft day are so predictable: We either have to love the guy or raise concerns about the guy before he's even played a snap.

To me, there wasn't a whole helluva' lot left to pick from at 15...which was one of my biggest gripes about drafting at 15: You are usually looking at most of the better-talented guys already being off the board when 15 rolls around. All the guys who were off the board when we were on the clock at 15 were guys that I think are better than Cushing.

But there we sat, and Smithiak didn't like the trade-down dynamics or they didn't have a willing partner. And maybe now DeMeco can see that they value him and that they want to get him some help so that he's free'd up a bit more and not the only threat at LB anymore.

Bottom line: He's our guy, even if he wasn't psyched to be a Texan. I would say that he is just ready to play and was glad for it to be over, and that he's the kind of no-nonsense guy that Bush made him out to be. Yeah, maybe he had dreams of staying in SoCal...can't blame a guy for that. Maybe he wanted a return to the east coast and it fell through. Who knows. Doesn't matter. The paychecks in Houston will cash just like the ones anywhere else.

Hope he stays healthy. Hope he isn't juicing. Hope he fits our system. Any draft pick can look good and be a dog, and any draft pick can look like a lump of coal and really be a diamond. All in all, Smithiak thinks he was THE guy at 15 that we should have pulled the trigger on.

I guess we all can choose how to look at it, though. Viva la difference, eh?
 
GP said:
Schaub's ass was injured a lot, but he got a pass from the Homer Squad around here. Give Cushing a chance. If he is available as much as Schaub has been, what the hell is the gripe here?
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I don't know if this is directed towards me, but I love the pick...I called for him for the first time yesterday evening and was hoping either him or Jenkins were picked...

That said...if a player is often injured then I think concerns about them staying healthy are valid...

At the same time, his injuries don't seem to be from lack of conditioning or from the lack of preparing his body..Can't really do a lot to avoid broken bones...

Also, I don't remember Schaub having injury concerns prior to becoming a Texan ??? I know had that injury in college, but besides that.....????
 
I like the pick. Injuries are not a real concern for me. He was hurt as a true freshman; ok and? True Freshman starting on a team full of NFL talent. Impact player on D. How many of those do we really have?

Welcome to Houston Brian. Sign your contract and put in your work. Stay healthy and play great - the rest will come.
 
PapaL said:
I like the pick. Injuries are not a real concern for me. He was hurt as a true freshman; ok and? True Freshman starting on a team full of NFL talent. Impact player on D. How many of those do we really have?

Welcome to Houston Brian. Sign your contract and put in your work. Stay healthy and play great - the rest will come.
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Well, he had the dislocated shoulder as a freshman and then missed something like 4 games his senior year with a sprained ankle. I don't know offhand if he had any other injuries.

So, injuries are a concern. However, I really like the guy and I think he's going to be a good player for us.
 
"He's very athletic," Kubiak said. "He can run. He can play all three spots from a linebacker's standpoint. He's a 3-down player, which is very important, he plays a nickel as well as, you know, every other down on the field, so, you know, he's a guy that goes on the field for us right away, an impact player for our football team."
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as always kuharsky gets the scoop

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afcsouth
 
nunusguy said:
Body language doesn't lie and the BL of him and his whole entourage was "this sucks". Let me see now, Chargers were picking immediately after us and maybe he thought he was just 1 team away from staying in SoCal ?
Too bad, you're a 22 or 23 year old multimillioniare now (while millions of other people are losing thier jobs in this economy and many will be depending on unemplymenbt comp to feed them and thier dependants), and you'll just have to go to a city that was less than you're top choice to do for a living what you love to do.
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Brian Cushing, LB, USC
It's amazing. The fact you're getting that call. It's special, it really is. Something you'll never forget. Magical.
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NFL.com
So what's going through your mind?
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09_combine_cushing_brian_40x55
Brian Cushing, LB, USC
I'm going to Houston, man! I'm going to play some football. It's something special. I'm more than excited.
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NFL.com
Has this all sunk in yet?
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09_combine_cushing_brian_40x55
Brian Cushing, LB, USC
It probably won't until I wake up tomorrow morning and realize I'm a Houston Texan.
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NFL.com
There was a huge contingent with you on the stage. Was that all of New Jersey going up there with you?
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09_combine_cushing_brian_40x55
Brian Cushing, LB, USC
That's New Jersey's finest up there with me, man.
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NFL.com
Take me through the moment when you're on the stage and you've got all your friends and family up there with you.
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09_combine_cushing_brian_40x55
Brian Cushing, LB, USC
I will never forget that. To have them here with me was special.
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NFL.com
Did you have any idea the Texans would take you?
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09_combine_cushing_brian_40x55
Brian Cushing, LB, USC
You know everything went well with them when I met the staff. It was a great opportunity. I had a feeling it might be Houston and when it actually happened it was awesome.
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NFL.com
You're going to be playing with DeMeco Ryans and Marion Williams, what are your expectations?
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09_combine_cushing_brian_40x55
Brian Cushing, LB, USC
They are great teachers. They are going to help me be even better. I want to play the best football possible. I want to hit the playbook immediately.
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NFL.com
How much are you looking forward to minicamp?
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09_combine_cushing_brian_40x55
Brian Cushing, LB, USC
I'm looking forward to minicamp and getting back on the football field.
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NFL.com
How would you describe today?
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09_combine_cushing_brian_40x55
Brian Cushing, LB, USC
Everything is going by. All this stuff is happening. It's unbelievable.
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NFL.com
Any idea what your role will be yet?
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09_combine_cushing_brian_40x55
Brian Cushing, LB, USC
I'm going to be outside linebacker. Hopefully I can rush the passer and make tackles.
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NFL.com
What's next for you?
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09_combine_cushing_brian_40x55
Brian Cushing, LB, USC
I'll be on a plane to Houston tomorrow.
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http://chat.nfl.com/front/index/226
 
I think Cushing would play on the moon if he got to play football in the NFL.

Just seems like one of those for the love of the game guys.
 
I'm happy with the pick. The Texans did a lot to improve the LB group this offseason. This will be by far the best group of LB's we have had in the history of the team. There are going to be a couple of pretty decent LB's looking for work because we can't keep all these guys, and for a change can you say "quality depth".
 
The Pencil Neck said:
Well, he had the dislocated shoulder as a freshman and then missed something like 4 games his senior year with a sprained ankle. I don't know offhand if he had any other injuries.

So, injuries are a concern. However, I really like the guy and I think he's going to be a good player for us.
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We will have to agree to disagree. I don't think he's Jerome Mathis or Bennie Joppru. Until he's missed time for us, injuries are not a concern for me. He plays a tough high impact position where injuries happen. Like I said, until he misses time for us I'm not concerned.
 
The Pencil Neck said:
Well, he had the dislocated shoulder as a freshman and then missed something like 4 games his senior year with a sprained ankle. I don't know offhand if he had any other injuries.

So, injuries are a concern. However, I really like the guy and I think he's going to be a good player for us.
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Maybe you mean his junior season he had the ankle injury? Here are his games played by year with some stats:

Year GP TKL TFL SACK PBU INT
2005 8 23 0.5 0.0 3 0
2006 13 57 13.5 4.5 1 0
2007 10 25 2.5 1.0 2 0
2008 13 73 10.5 3.0 6 1
Totals 44 178 27.0 8.5 12 1
 
Polo said:
I don't know if this is directed towards me, but I love the pick...I called for him for the first time yesterday evening and was hoping either him or Jenkins were picked...

That said...if a player is often injured then I think concerns about them staying healthy are valid...

At the same time, his injuries don't seem to be from lack of conditioning or from the lack of preparing his body..Can't really do a lot to avoid broken bones...

Also, I don't remember Schaub having injury concerns prior to becoming a Texan ??? I know had that injury in college, but besides that.....????
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No, not directed to any particular person. The vast majority of this board was very quick to douse any flames from the fire of "Schaub is injury prone," so I find it odd that some people are cranking up the same thing against Cushing.

For Schaub, he was always just in the wrong place at the wrong time, or he had injuries from illegal hits that would have hurt even Superman.

I guess I've just recently come to the realization that football players are eventually going to get hurt somehow--Schaub made it through most of 2008, so it wasn't like he was made of ginger bread like I thought he was. It's the nature of the game, and you don't know when or where it will happen. So why should we make it a part of the conversation?

I am more concerned about the 'roid accusations, to be honest. If he gets sidelined because of a suspension, then there's a huuuuge problem. I hate to say this, because it's morally not like me at all, but it's like someone else has said already: "If he's juicing, I hope we knows how to cycle off and on at the right times." Even then, do I really want him to die at age 48 because he roided and it helped my team? Messy topic, but it's the only major issue I have with this pick.
 
If Cushing starts on the strong side, and Diles backs up Cushing, then who is the early favorite to start on the weakside? Greenwood is gone. Perhaps Adibi. Maybe Cato.

Here are the linebackers currently on the Texans roster:

Code: 
52  	Adibi, Xavier      	LB  	6-2  	224  	Virginia Tech  	   	1st
57 	Bentley, Kevin   	LB 	6-0 	238 	Northwestern 	   	7th
53 	Coley, Kevis	   	LB 	6-1 	228 	Southern Mississippi 	2nd
56 	Cushing, Brian *	LB 	6-2 	243 	Southern California 	
58 	Davis, Buster    	LB 	5-9 	239 	Florida State 	   	2nd
54 	Diles, Zac       	LB 	6-0 	240 	Kansas State 	   	2nd
50 	June, Cato      	LB 	6-0 	227 	Michigan   	   	6th
59 	Ryans, DeMeco    	LB 	6-1 	250 	Alabama   	   	3rd
51 	Thompson, Chaun	   	LB 	6-2 	255 	West Texas A&M 	   	6th

http://www.houstontexans.com/team/roster.asp?sort_by=3
 
MojoMan said:
If Cushing starts on the strong side, and Diles backs up Cushing, then who is the early favorite to start on the weakside? Greenwood is gone. Perhaps Adibi. Maybe Cato.

Here are the linebackers currently on the Texans roster:

Code: 
52  	Adibi, Xavier      	LB  	6-2  	224  	Virginia Tech  	   	1st
57 	Bentley, Kevin   	LB 	6-0 	238 	Northwestern 	   	7th
53 	Coley, Kevis	   	LB 	6-1 	228 	Southern Mississippi 	2nd
56 	Cushing, Brian *	LB 	6-2 	243 	Southern California 	
58 	Davis, Buster    	LB 	5-9 	239 	Florida State 	   	2nd
54 	Diles, Zac       	LB 	6-0 	240 	Kansas State 	   	2nd
50 	June, Cato      	LB 	6-0 	227 	Michigan   	   	6th
59 	Ryans, DeMeco    	LB 	6-1 	250 	Alabama   	   	3rd
51 	Thompson, Chaun	   	LB 	6-2 	255 	West Texas A&M 	   	6th

http://www.houstontexans.com/team/roster.asp?sort_by=3
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Hopefully Adibi beats out June, that will leave us in good position.
 
MojoMan said:
If Cushing starts on the strong side, and Diles backs up Cushing, then who is the early favorite to start on the weakside? Greenwood is gone. Perhaps Adibi. Maybe Cato.

Here are the linebackers currently on the Texans roster:

Code: 
52  	Adibi, Xavier      	LB  	6-2  	224  	Virginia Tech  	   	1st
57 	Bentley, Kevin   	LB 	6-0 	238 	Northwestern 	   	7th
53 	Coley, Kevis	   	LB 	6-1 	228 	Southern Mississippi 	2nd
56 	Cushing, Brian *	LB 	6-2 	243 	Southern California 	
58 	Davis, Buster    	LB 	5-9 	239 	Florida State 	   	2nd
54 	Diles, Zac       	LB 	6-0 	240 	Kansas State 	   	2nd
50 	June, Cato      	LB 	6-0 	227 	Michigan   	   	6th
59 	Ryans, DeMeco    	LB 	6-1 	250 	Alabama   	   	3rd
51 	Thompson, Chaun	   	LB 	6-2 	255 	West Texas A&M 	   	6th

http://www.houstontexans.com/team/roster.asp?sort_by=3
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I would think Cato June would be the early favorite. Didn't Adibi have a hard time keeping weight on in the second half of the season? Perhaps he'll fix that this season with the new S&C coach. I think he'd see some action in passing downs.
 
kiwitexansfan said:
Hopefully Adibi beats out June, that will leave us in good position.
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Exactly right. You usually want your best players to be your young players. I remember how excited Kubiak was when they grabbed Adibi. Hopefully the guy will fulfill the promise Kubiak clearly thought he had.
 
MojoMan said:
If Cushing starts on the strong side, and Diles backs up Cushing, then who is the early favorite to start on the weakside? Greenwood is gone. Perhaps Adibi. Maybe Cato.
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Adibi and we now have our starting 3 LBs for (hopefully) the foreseeable future. June, Diles and Bentley give us very good depth and hopefully contribute a lot to special teams.
 
I think everyone that is complaining about the pick of Cush because of his health issues are just silly. He missed 8 games during his college carrer and 5 came as a true freshman. So that means he missed 3 games total for the last 3 years in college.

Cush will be a beast for us on defense and I truely believe it was another solid pick for Rick Smith and Kubes!

:fans::fans::fans:
 
kiwitexansfan said:
Hopefully Adibi beats out June, that will leave us in good position.
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What?

As long as there is an open competition, and the best player ends up on the field, we'll be in good position.

I think we'll be in better position, if Cato Wins, and Adibi learns from the sideline. That way, we'll get the pro-bowl/superbowl experience on the field, with his heir aparent in the wings.
 
I have ZERO problems with this pick. I thought we might do Mathews because of better speed and cover abilities, but Cush is the more intense run stopper. Just depends on which skill sets are of greater import at the position an time you are picking. He is a bit of a health nut, so I think the roid thing is a non-issue, but who knows. I suspect that some/most of his injuries are from just sticking his nose into the action. You throw the body around and sometimes things get bumped. I think he will pick up the intensity level of our defense and that can't be all bad.
 
Hookem Horns said:
Anyone else think of this guy when you look at Cushing?

seagalabovethelaw.jpg
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If he's only half as awesome as Steven Segal I'll be happy.
 
TexMexVato said:
He looks like a good tackler.

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80f87f7f
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You know last season, when our LBs weren't wrapping up the ball carrier...and it was damn frustrating to see teams extend their drives because of it?

Cushing wraps people up, and they don't get away. He's virtually 6' 3" and 243 lbs according to that nfl.com video you posted. His 40 is a 4.74, which supports my theory that he's not a guy who is going to kill offenses with his speed. But if he's in the same zip code, he's going to get to the ball and tackle the guy.

I can't remember who else on here said that they think Cushing makes good leverage for the Texans with DeMeco, but I sorta' agree with that. Cushing looks more like a Middle LB in that particular highlight reel--A guy who roams the middle of the field and gobbles up whatever wanders his way.

I think Ryans and Cushing can work together. Let's hope it doesn't turn into a pissing contest between them. And there's a chance it could. Or, it could be a positive thing and make both guys work hard to out-perform the other.
 
Also wanted to throw out something I learned when I asked a health-food store about using soy milk as a protein replenishment product instead of milk.

"It will cause you to grow man boobs."

Okie dokie, let's scratch that off my shopping list then.

If Cushing is a health nut, and he needs a bro (that's the male version of the bra), maybe it's from soy?

It's possible.

Either way, we're talking about a man's chest. :bat:
 
Wolf said:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/live_draft;_ylt=Aifm9YL0d6vxZvGMNrt6ZSk5nYcB

what yahoo is saying
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NFL.com's quick reviews of all 32 first round picks says that Cushing is a great fit because of his ability to play all the LB spots (if called upon to do so). They thought it was a smart pickup.

I'm not calling you out, by the way, I'm just saying that we're going to read so many positive and negative reviews that it'll make our heads spin.

I wish we could fast-forward to training camp...because the time between now and TC is always like that stretch of I-27 between Lubbock and Amarillo, when I've been traveling for 5 hours and I've got that last hour-and-a-half left to go from Lubbock to Amarillo...you get edgy and grumpy about the time you hit the city of Canyon (20 minutes south of Amarillo), and you actually contemplate swerving into oncoming traffic.

Actually, the worst time is when we have the threads about who has signed and who hasn't signed yet. Those make me claw my eyes out. "Have you heard anything? We really need to get his contract done. I am afraid he's going to hold out. Sheesh, when is so-and-so going to sign?"
 
Last edited:
some of the guys from inthebullseye.com

Roy
Gee, my top guy Everette Brown lasted until almost our 2nd round pick, so maybe I was way off base.

Behind EB was Jeremy Maclin, which I could understand the team not going with because of need. So, I don't really want to hear anything about BPA. I'd imagine Maclin is the ROY in Philly.

If we were wanting a LB, Matthews made more sense to me because he can play all 3 downs.

Lastly, I would have been fine with Ziggy Hood.

That all being said, I hope the Cushing improves our run defense. I think he's more athletic than Diles and because of his size, he should be able clean up behind a penetrating DLine. He's got very good measurables with and "Explosion" of 75 and my Athlete Index of 5.96 - so I am happy with that. At the Senior Bowl practice I saw him "thud" Rashad Jennings, who is not small, and totally knocked him off his feet. So, while Cushing wasn't one of "my guys" I am hopeful that he'll bring something to this defense.
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Warren
I preferred Matthews but I have to be honest and admit part of that was because of his name.

Cushing looks like a good player who plays hard and is a Sam all the way. The thing that concerns me is his durability, and that he's such a big weightroom guy that he's not as flexible and his body can't take the beating that comes with throwing that extra bulk around. If he can stay on the field, I think he'll be a nice addition.
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http://www.inthebullseye.com/forums/showthread.php?t=585&page=2
 
Drew Boylhart said:
Brian Cushing LB USC


STRENGTHS
Brian was made to play the LB position. He has excellent size, speed, strength and burst. He is a head up, wrap up, squeeze and drive tackler that hits and tackles like baseball-sized hail hitting your windshield while going down the road going 40 mph. Brian is athletic enough to be impactful in both the run defense and pass defense. He is an excellent cover LB who reminds me a lot of Brian Urlacher (LB Chicago Bears). Brian has the ability to play any one of the LB positions and impact.

NEEDS TO IMPROVE
I don't think there is a doctor on the west coast that has not seen this kid in his waiting room. Brian has a habit of tackling players head-on all the time and because of this, his body has taken a beating.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 1
I feel that if Brian is moved to the MLB position that he will take the angle more when tackling a player and this will allow for a hard hit, but not such a jarring hit that hurts him. It might take Brian a little time to get comfortable at that position, but I also feel that he will eventually show his leadership skills better from that position. The key is to keep Brian healthy and on the field and if you keep him at OLB he will just meet the sweep or the off tackle, run head on and continue to get hurt. At MLB, he will be moving forward with an angle towards the player and tackle with movement. This kid can play. I understand why he played the OLB position at USC, but I think his natural position for his health and athletic talent is at MLB for the team that drafts him. Brian Cushing is one of the best pure LB's in this draft because of his leadership skills and because he can play any one of the LB positions. That being said, his health makes him a big question mark and some teams will downgrade him because of it. If he checks out all right, I don't think I would downgrade him for health reasons. I mean really, half the kids in the draft could receive lower draft forecasts because of previous injures. In my book, it's how well you come back mentally from injuries that makes a difference and Brian has done a hell of a job in that regard.
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http://thehuddlereport.com/ppSD/protected/archive/2009DRAFT/PlayerProfiles/Brian.Cushing.htm

I found the bolded interesting. Got me thinking about Demeco and if him staying in the middle is actually a plus for the same reasons.
 
Combine this guy with DeMeco and we have a pretty confident LB core forming up. If Adibi steps up to the weak side I can easily see our defense moving lightyears ahead.
 
I'm excited now by the fact that it would seem to me that Cush would be his nickname.

Cush is actually a really high grade marijuana and given the drug allegations against Cushing it just works so well.

Can I just call him Cush now?

CUSH.jpg


cush1km3.jpg
 
NFL.com write up; LINK

*I left out HS Info, more info on site*

Analysis

Positives: Physical prototype with a combination of excellent size and overall athleticism for the position. Versatile. Signed with USC as a potential strong safety candidate, but has played defensive end, strong-side linebacker and even middle linebacker. Physical and intense. Big hitter who looks to intimidate opponents with his physicality in every phase of the game. Attacks blocks aggressively and flashes not only explosiveness but ferocity as a tackler. Good straight-line speed. Good flexibility to turn and run with tight ends and backs in coverage. Reads the quarterback well and can break on the ball. Productive pass rusher who is equally effective as an end and blitzing linebacker. Immediate standout performer who started for USC as a freshman.

Negatives: Has struggled with injuries throughout his career -- missing five games due to a shoulder separation in 2005 and three games in 2007 due to a high ankle sprain, as well as undergoing surgery after the 2006 (shoulder) and 2007 (knee) spring practices. Relies on his athletic ability, rather than his upper body strength to defeat blocks too often. Can overrun the play and allow for cutback opportunities. Mistakes often covered up by the surrounding talent at USC.

Compares To: CHAD GREENWAY, Minnesota -- Like Greenway, Cushing is quick to read and react to the play, having a good feel for blocking schemes and the take-off speed to beat offensive tackles upfield. He has enough acceleration to turn the corner, but is best when he slips through the gaps uncontested, as he is quick to fill the inside rush lanes. He stays low in his pads and attacks with good leg drive to neutralize the lead blockers when attempting to fill the run lanes. There are big concerns about his durability, but when healthy he is consistent if not spectacular.

Injury Report

2004: Missed three games during his high school senior year with an ankle sprain.

2005: Suffered a shoulder dislocation prior to the Arkansas contest (9/17), sitting out that game and also vs. Oregon (9/24), Arizona State (10/01) Arizona (10/08) and Notre Dame (10/15)...Underwent surgery after the season, missing 2006 spring camp.

2007: Missed most of spring drills with a right hamstring strain...After spring camp, he underwent arthroscopic left knee surgery...Suffered a slight bone fracture and a high ankle sprain vs. Idaho (9/01)...Saw limited action the next two games vs. Nebraska (9/15) and Washington State (9/22), but re-injured the ankle vs. WSU, sitting out the next three games vs. Washington (9/29), Stanford (10/06) and Arizona (10/13).

2008: Missed spring drills after undergoing arthroscopic ankle surgery...Played with a cast after suffering a broken bone in his hand vs. Oregon State (9/25)...Suffered a shoulder contusion vs. Arizona State (10/11).

Overview

The unquestioned leader of one of the premier defenses in college football, Cushing is also regarded as one of the finest strong-side outside linebackers in the game. Whether it is blitzing the quarterback, chasing down running backs or dropping back in pass coverage, the chiseled athlete has excelled at whatever task the coaches ask from him.

His steady performances each week brought back memories of former Trojans standout linebacker Duane Bickett, who went on to star in the NFL for Indianapolis (1985-93), Seattle (1994-95) and Carolina (1996) after being selected in the first round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Colts.

Cushing felt that the 2008 season was his chance to prove to scouts that he was not only capable of being a first-round pick, but also prove that he could stay on the football field. Having missed more than a third of his freshman and junior seasons combined due to a rash of injuries, he underwent a rigorous training and nutritional program before the 2008 campaign. His exploits in the training room eventually earned him the honor of being named the team's Co-Lifter of the Year.

On the field, he received All-American recognition in addition to being named All-Pac 10 Conference first-team in 2008. He was a finalist for the Butkus Award, semifinalist for the Lombardi Award and quarterfinalist for the Lott Trophy. He accomplished all of this despite playing with a cast for close to a month to protect a broken bone in his hand.

Cushing earned Parade, USA Today, Prep Football Report, Scout.com, Super Prep, EA Sports and Prep Star All-American honors as a senior at Bergen Catholic High School. He was a member of the USA Today All-USA Team, in addition to receiving Super Prep Elite 50, Prep Star Top 100 Dream Team, Student Sports Top 100, Rivals 100, Super Prep All-Northeast Defensive Player of the Year, Prep Star All-East and All-State Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Despite missing three games with an ankle sprain, Cushing recorded 120 tackles, 11 stops for loss, 10 sacks and seven interceptions as a linebacker in 2004. On offense, the running back and tight end gained 475 rushing yards with 10 touchdowns and caught 13 receptions for 456 yards (35.1 avg) with seven scores. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown.

As a junior, Cushing was named Student Sports Junior All-American, All-State first-team and All-Bergen County Defensive Player of the Year. He went on to register 120 tackles, including 22 behind the line of scrimmage, adding nine sacks and seven interceptions.

Despite missing more than half his freshman season with a shoulder dislocation, Cushing returned to start four games for Southern California in 2005. He shared strong-side outside linebacker duties with Thomas Williams and also excelled on the special team coverage units. He returned a blocked punt 6 yards, delivered 23 tackles (14 solos), recovered a pair of fumbles and caused another. For that performance, Scout.com placed his named on their Freshman All-American squad (honorable mention).

With the depth on the defensive front wall depleted after four starters graduated, Cushing shifted to right defensive end for the 2006 campaign. He underwent a crash course at his new position during fall camp, having missed spring drills due to arthroscopic shoulder surgery. He recorded 57 tackles (27 solos) in his only season on the defensive line, as he ranked tied for second on the squad with 4.5 sacks and paced the Trojans with a career-high 13.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage. He blocked a punt for the second consecutive year, returning it 21 yards, and also fielded a kickoff that he returned 42 yards for a touchdown. He was named the winner of the team's John McKay Award, given to the player showing the most competitive spirit.

The injury bug resided in Cushing's locker in 2007. He missed a portion of spring drills with a hamstring injury, and at the conclusion of camp underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. The All-Pac 10 Conference honorable mention suffered a bone chip and high ankle sprain vs. Idaho in the season opener and two games later, re-injured the ankle in the Washington State clash, missing the next four games. He finished with 25 tackles (14 solos) while starting eight of 10 games he played in at strong-side linebacker.

For the third consecutive spring, Cushing was on the sidelines, this time due to arthroscopic ankle surgery. He wore a cast for close to a month after breaking a bone in his hand vs. Oregon State and suffered a shoulder contusion vs. Arizona State, but still started all 13 games at strong-side linebacker in 2008. He was named All-American and All-Pac 10 Conference, as he collected 73 tackles (46 solos), ranking second on the team. He delivered three sacks and led the Trojans with 10.5 stops for losses. He also deflected six passes and picked off another.
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PapaL said:
We will have to agree to disagree. I don't think he's Jerome Mathis or Bennie Joppru. Until he's missed time for us, injuries are not a concern for me. He plays a tough high impact position where injuries happen. Like I said, until he misses time for us I'm not concerned.
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What are we disagreeing about? I was just saying that he's had some injuries but I think he's going to be a good player for us.
 
texanfan2002114 said:
I think everyone that is complaining about the pick of Cush because of his health issues are just silly. He missed 8 games during his college carrer and 5 came as a true freshman. So that means he missed 3 games total for the last 3 years in college.
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You bring up a fair point about what games were missed but to say his injury concerns aren't worth discussing is just plain silly. That's the one thing that turned me off from Cushing.

GP said:
Also wanted to throw out something I learned when I asked a health-food store about using soy milk as a protein replenishment product instead of milk.

"It will cause you to grow man boobs."

Okie dokie, let's scratch that off my shopping list then.

If Cushing is a health nut, and he needs a bro (that's the male version of the bra), maybe it's from soy?

It's possible.

Either way, we're talking about a man's chest. :bat:
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Did you see him in the draft bumps? The dude is cut from stone. Here we get a thick, physical LB instead of one that can probably cover a little better. Matthews was my pick but I'm going to give Cushing every opportunity to impress me. I won't hate just to hate.
 
Frank Bush didn’t want to go there, tried his best not to, but it was too late.

In discussing why Texans first-round draft pick Brian Cushing was the guy the Texans’ defensive coordinator wanted the team to take in the draft, Bush explained that it was partly because Cushing reminded him of someone.

“His demeanor, his intensity and the way he played the game reminded me of a player I coached at Denver,” Bush said.

The player? Bill Romanowski.
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http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/fb/texansfront/6392791.html
 
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I just watched what Bush had to say about Cushing and he compared him to Bill Romanowski in terms of his work ethic and intensity.

If Cushing lives up to half of what Bill was in his day we have a stud LB for years to come.

Brian Cushing, Demeco Ryans, Xavier Adibi, Mario Williams, Anotonio Smith, DRob, Reeves, Amobi.

We have depth at LB with Diles, Bentley, and Thompson. Depth at CB with Moldin and Bennett and Drafted Glover that can play both Safety and CB.

We have Barber to play SS and Wilson to play FS with Ferguson and again Glover as depth

There are no excuses this year. If this team does not win the division or at the very least make the playoffs, then all the talent on this team was a waste and everyone should lose there jobs.
 
TEXANRED said:
I just watched what Bush had to say about Cushing and he compared him to Bill Romanowski in terms of his work ethic and intensity.

If Cushing lives up to half of what Bill was in his day we have a stud LB for years to come.

Brian Cushing, Demeco Ryans, Xavier Adibi, Mario Williams, Anotonio Smith, DRob, Reeves, Amobi.

We have depth at LB with Diles, Bentley, and Thompson. Depth at CB with Moldin and Bennett and Drafted Glover that can play both Safety and CB.

We have Barber to play SS and Wilson to play FS with Ferguson and again Glover as depthThere are no excuses this year. If this team does not win the division or at the very least make the playoffs, then all the talent on this team was a waste and everyone should lose there jobs.
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This is the only thing that makes the Texans draft seem somewhat logical...they believe in Barber and Ferguson... otherwise a SS would have been the second round or even first round pick (Jenkins)

As for not getting RB in the draft..could be costly.
 
TEXANRED said:
There are no excuses this year. If this team does not win the division or at the very least make the playoffs, then all the talent on this team was a waste and everyone should lose there jobs.
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I just love statements like that.

It's as if down-deep you really want them to fail so you can have the satisfaction of seeing everyone lose their jobs.
 
Marcus said:
I just love statements like that.

It's as if down-deep you really want them to fail so you can have the satisfaction of seeing everyone lose their jobs.
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I dont think that is the case....the team is by far the best we have ever had...another 0-4 start....not good for the franchise.
8-8 for a third year would be disasterous...we need to keep moving forward.
 
Marcus said:
I just love statements like that.

It's as if down-deep you really want them to fail so you can have the satisfaction of seeing everyone lose their jobs.
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Um, no. It's as if he is tired of the mediocrity and the excuses. He's not the only one.
 
spurstexanstros said:
I dont think that is the case....the team is by far the best we have ever had...another 0-4 start....not good for the franchise.
8-8 for a third year would be disasterous...we need to keep moving forward.
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As long as the roof doesn't blow off of Reliant I think we'll start better than we did last year. Going from 8-8 to a 10 win team is going to take a big leap. I think Kubiak and crew know that the pressure is on them. I think with the draft and free agency signings we're a much better team than we were last year.
 
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