Cushing Set for Stellar Senior Season
08 12 2008
Lott Profiles, 2008
CUSHING SET FOR STELLAR SENIOR SEASON
He arrived on the University of Southern California campus from Park Ridge, New Jersey in 2005, eager and anxious for the challenge of becoming a part of one of college football’s fabled programs.
And, almost from the first day, Brian Cushing and USC football seemed to go together like scarlet and gold. He was an immediate Trojan, exhibiting power, speed and tenacity on the field, class and determination off it. He understood what it meant to be a USC linebacker. “I wanted to play for the best team,” he said at the time he enrolled. (Cushing was recruited by most major universities in the country, including Florida, Notre Dame and Miami).
Now, as he readies for his senior and final season, Cushing is healthy and prepared for what should be a banner year. Big (6-4, 255), smart and experienced, Cushing will be an outside linebacker as USC gears up for another run at a national championship.
In high school at Bergen Catholic, Cushing had 120 tackles his senior year and was named the Defensive Player of the Year in the county. In the classroom, he had a 3.4 grade point average and scored 1,010 on the SAT. He was ready for the next step.
A shoulder injury slowed him as a freshman in ‘05, but he still started the final four games, including the national championship game against Texas. A year later, he was asked to play defensive end and he led USC in tackles for losses with 13.5. He was named the most valuable defensive player in the Rose Bowl and was awarded the John McKay Award for the Trojan with the most competitive spirit.
Injuries and a position switch to defensive end his sophomore season have kept Cushing from attaining his ultimate goal at USC: “I just want to be the best linebacker I can be. I want to be able to come out and perform as best as I can and up my level of play.”
Once again in ‘07, Cushing missed playing time as he sprained an ankle in the opening game of the season. He had arthroscopic surgery on the ankle this past spring and is ready to go for his senior campaign.
“I think overall coming into this program and knowing that one day I wanted to be a leader on this team was very important to me,” he said at Pac-10 media day in July. “I learned from the older guys, understanding what the program is about and the philosophy of coach (Pete) Carroll. Hopefully I can give the same competitive leadership to the younger guys and lead this team through the season.”
Cushing, a Playboy pre-season All-American selection, has been nominated for The Lott Trophy® for the second straight season. He’s also on the watch list for the Bednarik Award and the Nagurski Award. Named after Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, The Lott Trophy® is awarded to college football’s Defensive IMPACT® Player of the Year. The Lott Trophy® is the first college football award to equally recognize athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player.
Sponsored by The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation®, the award is given to a player who exhibits the same characteristics Lott embodied during his distinguished career: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.
David Pollack of Georgia won the initial Lott Trophy® in 2004. DeMeco Ryans of Alabama won the award in 2005 Daymeion Hughes of Cal was the recipient in 2006 and Glenn Dorsey of LSU in 2007. Georgia, Alabama, Cal and LSU each received $25,000 for their general scholarship funds. In four years, the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation® has donated more than $450,000 to various charities, including the four universities.
Voters for the award include selected members of the national media, previous finalists, the Board of Directors of the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation®, The IMPACT® Foundation Board of Advisors comprised of retired NFL players and Master Coaches, a distinguished group of former head college coaches.
For further information on The Lott Trophy®, please visit our website at http://www.lotttrophy.com
Pete Donovan
Media Director
The Lott Trophy®
760/360-0414