Brian Cushing News

Examiners spread the seasonal cheer with the Examiner.com Holiday Guide . Clay Matthews named NFC defensive player of the week Wednesday, December 9, 2009 Watch out Brian Cushing, it looks like you might have some competition.

This isn't the kind of Pete Carroll team L.A. has gotten used to, but Carroll gets some slack after seven years of dominance.

I am beginning to see a recurring theme here. Brian Cushing is good. For the third time in his rookie season, Cushing is being recognized by the NFL with honors.

Minnesota's Percy Harvin and Houston's Brian Cushing have been named the NFL's top rookies for the month of November.

The Texans' Brian Cushing, left, is a leading candidate for defensive rookie of the year honors.

Trojans in the NFL focuses on USC Trojans, who were drafted into the National Football League this past NFL Draft, in an effort to follow the blossoming professional careers of some of your favorite players.

At first glance, USC and UCLA might be heading in opposite directions going into Saturday's annual crosstown rivalry game.

He has been around this program longer than most, Jeff Byers officially becoming a USC Trojan in the summer of 2004, when Matt Barkley was 13 years old.

After seven straight Pac-10 titles, disappointment just doesn't stick to Pete Carroll.

Offense Backfield: There are four USC quarterbacks in the NFL, and Cincinnati's Carson Palmer , Arizona's Matt Leinart and the New York Jets' Mark Sanchez were top-10 draft picks.

Jeff Byers could sense a difference. In the most physical of football drills - the full-contact running drill known as the "nine-on-seven" - the USC defense was bringing it.

Casey missed the Indianapolis game after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. "If comes out today and fine, I think all systems would be go," coach Gary Kubiak said about playing Monday against Tennessee.

Film does not lie, especially when you lose by 34 points to Stanford. So USC coach Pete Carroll finally admitted Sunday night that skeptics were right to question how his inexperienced defense could not be a liability this season.

Here are some week 9 highlights of former Trojans now playing in the NFL. This week features David Buehler, Dwayne Jarrett, Reggie Bush, Terrell Thomas, Steve Smith, Kevin Ellison, Keith Rivers, Rey Maualuga , Carson Palmer, Troy Polamalu and Brian Cushing.

Shaun Cody watched helplessly from a hotel room in Buffalo, N.Y. Kyle Moore tried to make sense of it from Los Angeles.

Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson , Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing and Miami Dolphins kick returner Ted Ginn , Jr.

There! It's official. By the count of 47-20, the votes are in. USC is rebuilding this year not reloading like all of the media hype had suggested.

As much as quarterbacks and running backs have defined the USC tradition, it's been the Trojans' linebackers who have taken over the NFL in recent years.

Trojans in the NFL focuses on USC Trojans, who were drafted into the National Football League this past NFL Draft, in an effort to follow the blossoming professional careers of some of your favorite players.

In this Sept. 25, 2008, file photo, Oregon State running back Jacquizz Rodgers is tackled from behind by Southern California defender Brian Cushing in the first half of their NCAA college football game in Corvallis, Ore.