Brian Cushing Looks to Shine in Houston

The No. 56 has a lot of history in the NFL for linebackers.

The number has been held by current bone-crushers like Shawne Merriman and legends such as the original LT, Lawrence Taylor.

Where does the newest No. 56, Brian Cushing, fall into the mix?

For now, no one knows. But if it were up to Texan fans, he would hover towards LT-like statistics. 

Texans fans have high expectations for Cushing, who was drafted in the first round with the 15th selection. Cushing certainly has the talent to become a great linebacker. He comes out of USC with a long list of credentials and the praise of many of his peers and coaches at in Los Angeles.

"[Cushing is a] tough guy, and he wants to prove it to you every time. Heart. The definition of hard work, and he's going to carry that flag," said Ken Norton Jr., former Cowboys and 49ers linebacker and current USC linebackers coach.

"He's a captain, rah-rah guy. He'll be an extremely good pro because he's going to be your tough guy, he'll play hard, he's a complete player, you're not going to outwork him and you're not going to out-tough him," said Norton Jr.

Cushing is as tough as a raw steak, and tougher on the opposition. In his senior season, he had 66 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and left Penn State's offense in shock at the Rose Bowl.

"Cush," as people call him, is talented.

He has talent around him as well. Xavier Adibi, a former Virginia Tech standout, will likely be the other outside linebacker in the future for Houston.

The man in the middle? DeMeco Ryans, the 2006 Defensive Rookie of the Year and a 2007 Pro-Bowler.

"DeMeco has been a big influence on me. He's already been a big help," said Cushing.

Cushing realizes that there will be good times and bad times in his rookie season, hopefully with more of the former. 

Texan fans, be ready. Cushing is ready to play his heart out and help the Texans linebacker unit rival the one he played in at USC.

As for joining the list of legendary linebackers to wear No. 56?  

Only time will tell.