Sunday morning was a success for Brian Cushing.

"Stayed alive," the inside linebacker said. "Didn't sweat too bad. I think it was a pretty good day for the defense."

The Texans kicked off their 2016 training camp with a two-hour practice outside at the Houston Methodist Training Center. For Cushing, it's his eighth training camp as a professional, and the veteran looked spry from the first whistle to the final horn to end practice.

"By this time of your career you figure out what works for you and what doesn't," Cushing said. "The best things for recovery. How your body works. Especially getting older too, as well. Just trying to train harder, but also smarter."

Responsible for the play calls and helping get his teammates in the right spot before the snap, Cushing stressed the importance of clear communication. Because of his experience, there's also some teaching involved.

"It's a little bit of both," Cushing said. "It's more off-the-field that I'll be teaching. But on-field there's a lot of communication. Certain instances that we'll talk about later, inside the room. Inside the building. Especially this time of year, there's a lot of learning."

Cushing is one of 10 starters returning on the defensive side of the ball. He said he's "very excited for this upcoming season".

The Texans practice again on Monday morning at the Houston Methodist Training Center.

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