Texans' Cushing to return after 4-game suspension

Steve Smith's memories of Brian Cushing have little to do with football. When they were players at Southern California, they found themselves not only on the same team but in the same biology class.

"We used to walk to class and back every day together," the Giants' receiver said of the Texans' linebacker.

Those, of course, were much simpler times. The Trojans were challenging for national titles, stockpiling Heisman votes and living the West Coast life, the big stars in pro football-less Los Angeles. They could do no wrong.

Now that they're in the NFL, though, doing no wrong is harder. Reggie Bush returned his Heisman with as much remorse as if it were an overdue library book. Dwayne Jarrett was charged with his second drunk-driving incident this week and released by the Panthers after a disappointing tenure in Carolina. And Cushing, the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year last season, has spent the first four weeks of this season at home with his parents in New Jersey, sitting out a four-game suspension for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

Cushing tested positive last September for elevated levels of hCG, a substance that can be taken to mask steroid consumption by restoring normal testosterone levels.

Smith expressed dismay at Cushing's suspension.

"You're coming off a great year," he said, "and you have high expectations for yourself and, whether it's true or not . . . people are thinking that and you have a tainted image a little bit.

"It's been tough for SC with the loss of scholarships and Reggie and Cush, it's been tough," Smith said. "Good thing he's coming back on the field finally."

Cushing will return to action against the Giants today.And he'll be facing two of his former Trojan teammates - Smith and cornerback Terrell Thomas - who chose to remember him for the player he was at Southern Cal and not for his recent suspension.

"I [couldn't] care less about that," Thomas said.

Cushing said he is excited not only about returning but about doing so against the Giants, the team he grew up watching.

"There's definitely a bunch of familiar faces that I'm going to be going against," he said. "But on top of it, the game is going to be televised back home [in New Jersey]. So I've got a lot to prove to people back home, what they've missed the past couple of years not being able to watch me play."

Smith, whose brother Malcolm is a junior linebacker at Southern Cal, said he doesn't expect there to be much rust when Cushing finally takes the field for his 2010 debut.

"I think he's going to fly around," Smith said. "Defense is about being aggressive and effort. He might be out of place on a call here or there, but I'm sure he's going to be flying around trying to play with speed."

That's what the Texans would like to see. Coach Gary Kubiak said he has no doubt that Cushing kept himself in shape during his time away from the team - he was not allowed to be in contact with the Texans during the four-week suspension - but did sound a bit concerned about his ability to refine his timing on short notice.

"He works harder than anybody we have," Kubiak said. "I know his buzz and his hum from that standpoint. It's just the snaps you can't make up for. It's just going out there and running in the defense, being in your gap, being in coverage - all those things that keep players sharp week in and week out, he's missed out on for a month, and that'll be a big thing."

Kubiak, a former player, also said he suspects Cushing will be driven by the suspension.

"If you give time back in this league for anything other than an injury, I mean golly, it's hard to live with," Kubiak said. "Careers are so short and special."

Last year, Cushing had four sacks, four interceptions and 133 tackles. For Thomas, who played behind Cushing at Southern Cal, it was not a surprise.

"He was a freak athlete," Thomas said. "You put him in space and you allow him to play ball and you saw what he did last year."

What will he do this year? More important to the Giants, what will he do this week?

"I hope he's rusty," Thomas said with a chuckle. "I think he's going to come out there and be ready to play. He's a Pro Bowler, he's a competitor. He's always been a hard worker and I expect nothing less than for him to come out, give his 110 and make some plays for them.

"Just hopefully there aren't too many."