When asked why Brian Cushing was his first-round draft pick, Texans’ defensive coordinator Frank Bush said that it was partly because Cushing reminded him of someone with the same demeanor and intensity in playing the game, someone he coached at Denver. When asked who this player was that reminded him of Cushing, Bush said it was Bill Romanowski—a player who has also been surrounded with steroid talk in the past. Rumors of steroid use have followed Brian Cushing so long that it has become part of his public persona yet Cushing has never tested positive for steroid use or has been proven to take any performance enhancing drugs.

These days, however, with the looming shadow of the NFL steroid era, anyone who is fast, strong, and well-cut is subjected to the suspicions that the player must be cheating. Cushing said that he told every team that he never did steroids and that he passed every drug test out there. He added that, “I’m not that kind of guy.” At this point, is it foolish to believe that one can still achieve stellar scores and extraordinary success with hard work and good genes? Weighing 246 pounds and measuring 6-3 in height, Cushing is a self-confessed health nut who does not eat junk food. His meals are prepared and delivered to him by his nutritionist, he has worked with a trainer since high school, and he regularly lifts weight with passion. Granted, it is still possible to achieve excellent form and stamina the natural way but to many, excellent form and stamina is immediately equated to steroid use.

People’s suspicions are not without basis, of course. Brian Cushing used to be a 165-pound freshman who later transformed into a 225-pound linebacker terror playing for his alma mater, Bergen Catholic in Park Ridge, New Jersey. Students from rival high schools taunted Cushing with chants alleging he was using steroids.

Some weeks ago, a web site falsely reported that Cushing and fellow first-round draft pick Trojan linebacker Clay Matthews tested positive for steroids at the NFL Combine for February. Regarding the rumors, Cushing simply said that he’s going to prove the people wrong. Instead of putting him down, it seems that the rumors even drive Cushing to pursuing greatness.

Texans general manager Rick Smith said that they investigated the steroid rumors on Cushing, as they would with any other player, before taking Cushing in the team. He said that they have vetted the process thoroughly and that they feel really good about who he is as a man and as an athlete and player. He also said that they are excited about adding him in to their football team.

Cushing’s high school coach can only agree with Smith. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, he said that Cushing had a “wild dog” in him (a certain nastiness), which was an excellent mentality for a strongside linebacker, adding that one problem with that is that Cushing sometimes hit quarterbacks in practice when hitting quarterbacks is not allowed. In describing his strength, Cushing used the word ‘intensity,’ which sums up his asset as a player.

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