Houston Texans outside linebacker Brian Cushing was lovingly referred to as a "New Jersey meathead" by NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock, who was referring to Cushing's hard work and long hours spent in the gym.

After being named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2009, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports Cushing headed off to Los Angeles this off-season to take a break from the weights, finish up his degree, and, since he's a "meathead", undergo an intense MMA workout regimen designed by FOXSports.com's Jay Glazer.

"It's a body-on-body workout, and it's amazing how little guys know about getting leverage and taking the opponent down when they get here," Glazer told McClain. "MMA's scary to a lot of athletes in other sports because they don't know what to expect.

"When the cage door shuts, the goal is to break the will of your opponent. We work on the heart and the will. Brian really wants to be great. We keep trying to break his will, but he keeps coming back for more."

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis, Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, and Cushing's former college teammates Keith Rivers, Sam Baker, and Matt Leinart are all participating in Glazer's program. So too will Cushing's current teammate, newly minted Pro Bowl middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans.

"DeMeco Ryans is coming, and I can't wait because I know he'll really take to this and benefit from it," Glazer said. "There's another Texan I'd love to get out here, Mario Williams. He's got as much talent as anybody in the NFL. He's so naturally gifted that I know this workout regime would help him. If Mario came here, he'd push himself to levels he doesn't know he has."