NEW YORK -- A positive drug test notwithstanding, Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing is still The Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Five days after he was suspended without pay for four games, a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL voted again to give Cushing the award. He didn't receive anywhere near the 39 votes of his previous landslide victory, but the 18 he got in Wednesday's revote were enough to reclaim the honor.

"I was just glad to hear the news, that people stuck by me. Very honored," Cushing said. "I'm very happy to have the award once again, and I'm just happy with how everything turned out."

Although Cushing said he took a non-steroid substance, the league still considers it a performance enhancer.

The AP decided to have a revote, in which Cushing finished five votes ahead of Buffalo safety Jairus Byrd. Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews III got 12, Washington linebacker Brian Orakpo earned three votes, and St. Louis linebacker James Laurinaitis got one.

Three voters abstained. In all, 19 voters switched from Cushing to another player, and one voted for Cushing after picking Byrd originally.

"I'm good," Byrd said, referring to the result. "Yeah, I'm fine with it."

In the original balloting in January, Cushing received 39 votes to six for Byrd, three for Matthews and two for Orakpo.

Cushing said he was nervous waiting to hear the results of the revote.