56 days until the Texans' 2025 season opener: Who has worn No.56?
Texans Wire will each day tell you which player has worn the number of the day leading up to kickoff and pick the player who ensured the number best during their time at NRG Stadium. As for today, let's take a look at who has won No. 586since the inaugural season in 2002.
Texans players to wear No. 56
No. 56 currently belongs to second-year linebacker Jamal Hill. Entering Year 2, he'll need to step up and prove he's more than a special-teams standout to warrant more playing time, but he was reliable as a last resort, and with Neville Hewitt gone, there's a solid chance Hill could make the active 53-man roster just because he's a favorite of Frank Ross.
Regarding Hill's G.O.A.T. status, sorry, but there's only one right answer when talking about the No. 56 all-time.
Best Player: Brian Cushing
From his bone-crushing hits to his abrasive mentality between whistles, Cushing is the embodiment of the old-school linebacker mentality: hit first, maybe talk later if you still can breathe. Over his nine seasons with Houston, he was a thumping, no-nonsense play with speed and physicality that would set the tone under both Gary Kubiak and Bill O'Brien.
While the end of his career was hindered by injuries, there was a three-year window where Cushing looked unstoppable in space when asked to play the run. After DeMeco Ryans was traded to Philadelphia ahead of the 2012 season, he became the leader of the defense, often wearing the green dot to take orders from the sidelines under Wade Phillips or Mike Vrabel.
Over his Texans' career, Cushing racked up more than 660 tackles, including 42 for a loss and 13 sacks. He also posted three 100-plus tackle seasons while earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2009 and a Pro Bowl nod the same season.
While he'll never be a Hall of Famer or perhaps even a member of the Texans' Ring of Honor, Cushing's impact will forever live on in fans' hearts whenever they see a collision that crushes more than a windpipe. They'll think of the USC star, covered in blood that continues to drip as he prepares for another snap.
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