Mentored by DeMeco Ryans, Brian Cushing says new Texans coach: ‘You want to make him proud.’

HOUSTON – Brian Cushing never wanted to disappoint DeMeco Ryans, his mentor who helped him hone his hard-hitting style when he arrived in the NFL.

And Cushing didn’t, becoming an NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and the second Texans player to win that award three years after Ryans earned that status.

When Cushing arrived in Houston as the Texans’ first-round draft pick from USC, Ryans, named the Texans’ new head coach this week, took him under his wing and provided extremely valuable guidance. And he informed Cushing that he expected the best from him.

“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.”

As much as Cushing, now retired after earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors with the Texans, learned from Ryans, so did his friend and teammate.

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.

“When I first thought about coaching, it was while I was playing,” Ryans said. “While I played, I was always interested into the development and the delivery of people around me. When I saw young Brian Cushing coming in as a rookie and being able to work with him and to help him alongside me, I wanted to make sure that Brian was the best that he could be because I knew if I poured into him everything that I knew and I helped him, if he was playing his best, I was playing my best, and we all played our best, then I knew we would deliver wins.”

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.

“It’s incredible,” Cushing said. “It was kind of one of those things we always knew he would eventually one day be a head coach. The fact that he’s coming back here, I think it makes it even more special. He’s an incredible person. He’s an unbelievable teacher and just an all-around great guy. To see this all come true for him is surreal.”

Ryans’ impact on players goes beyond the football field. He’s genuinely interested in their development off the field as family men.

“The reason I got into coaching was to help players,” Ryans said. “That’s the only reason I got into coaching. I was able to get that opportunity out in San Francisco after playing. I sat out for a year, and I was able to go out there, and it was truly about just helping others. That’s what I want to do here with our guys is just developing our young men, developing the players to be the best players they can be on the field, but also I want to develop men to be the best men off the field. Develop great husbands, great fathers, great community men. That’s what coaching is to me. It’s about the development and delivery of men.”

Aaron Wilson is a contributor to KPRC 2 and click2houston.com