By: Tyler Ward
The Houston Texans have asked the NFL to reduce or rescind star linebacker Brian Cushing's suspension and hopefully put him back on the field for the start of the 2010 season. Their reasoning was that Cushing suffers from a rare medical condition, which some call "overtrained athlete syndrome."
After Houston's practice on Monday, Cushing told the media that the syndrome can trigger hormonal spikes after breaks in training. He, along with the Texans front office, believes that is why is he tested positive for a fertility drug last year. Cushing told the NFL that he did not take the drug or any performance-enhancing drugs.
The linebacker was suspended for the first four games of the year after testing positive for the banned drug, HCG. According to Cushing, he never touched the drug, which can restart a person's testosterone after abusing steroids. Cushing has remained confident that he does not know how the drug got into his system, but accepted the league's sentence. He tried to appeal in February, but was denied by the NFL's front office. Since given the suspension, he has benen vocal about his condition and believes that is the case for his failed drug test.
When asked about the condition, Cushing stated, "Every individual is genetically different. I had a unique situation where something like this occurred and we have the science to back it up. It's taken months. It's really beyond what we ever thought and it's beyond the regular medical doctor. We've gone in depth, and there has been a lot of money spent on the research. There have been a lot of interesting results that I think can help us."
Commissioner Roger Goodell has stated that he will not turn down the Texans' question and will remain open-minded. "As you know in the medical profession, there are rarely absolutes and there are varying opinions," Goodell said. "We want to make sure we listen to all the experts and understand all the facts."Cushing won the 2009 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, but since he failed the drug test, a revote had to be held. But, at the end of the day, Cushing still remained the Defensive Rookie of the Year after receiving 18 out of 50 votes - in the first go-around, Cushing received 39 out of the possible 50 votes. Surprising Bills rookie, Jairus Byrd, placed second in the in the revote with 13 votes, after a successful season on a dismal Bills team. Washington rookie Brian Orakpo placed third in the balloting.
After a stellar career at USC, Cushing was selected 15th overall by the Texans in the 2009 draft. Cushing tied for fifth overall in the NFL with 134 tackles in his rookie campaign and was one of just three rookies to be elected to the Pro Bowl. He became the second Texans player to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, along with current teammate, Demeco Ryans.
