Brian Cushing never wanted to disappoint DeMeco Ryans, his mentor who helped him hone his hard-hitting style when he arrived in the NFL.
“Absolutely, that’s how he held me accountable,” Cushing said. “He’s one of those guys you never want to let down. You want to play as hard as you could and make him proud. I think I did. He’s one of those guys who really kickstarted my career and made me a better overall player and person.”
That experience, watching Cushing record 133 tackles, four sacks, 12 tackles for losses, four interceptions and two forced fumbles as a rookie under his tutelage, planted a seed in Ryans that propelled him to ultimately launch his path to become a coach ascending to the boss of the San Francisco 49ers’ top-ranked defense this past season before signing a six-year contract with the Texans.
For Ryans’ career to now come full circle and return to Houston as the Texans’ new head coach is emotionally significant for Cushing, who was one of several former teammates that packed the team auditorium for his introductory press conference.
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