Kirk Cousins: Veteran QB for the Atlanta Falcons. Known for his accuracy, durability, and impressive passing yard totals. Can he finally break through and deliver a Super Bowl to Atlanta? Here are the 10 Facts You Didn't Know About Kirk Cousins.
10. Kirk Cousins is the son of a pastor.
He is the son of Don Cousins, a pastor at the Discovery Church in Orlando, Florida. Cousins is the second born in a family of three children. It is little wonder then, that Christianity has become an important part of his career, something he recognizes can make many people uncomfortable. He enrolled in a Christian school early in his life and ended up going through Christian schooling all through to high school.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins graduated from the Holland Christian High School in Holland, Michigan. He has also participated in various Christian athlete programs like the Athletes in Action Sports Ministry.
9. Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins was a three-sport star in high school.
Kirk Cousins was a star athlete at Holland Christian High School, where he starred in three sports. Apart from being a football star, he was also third baseman and pitcher for the school baseball team and played basketball for the Holland Christian High School Maroons.
8. Kirk Cousins is married to Julie Hampton.
Kirk Cousins proposed to Julie Cousins, then Julie Hampton, in 2014, leading to a wedding that happened in Atlanta, Georgia on June 28th that year.
The two had dated for almost a year and a half before he finally proposed, doing so, or at least attempting to, spectacularly. He asked the congressmen of his district for permission to use the speaker’s balcony to propose, hoping for a sunset and clear skies for the beautiful occasion. Instead, he got overcast skies and multiple cranes in the background. He still managed to get a yes, and the rest, as they say, is history.
7. QB Kirk Cousins remains motivated by his high school math results.
In 2005, he scored a 39/50 on an integrated math quiz. These were not impressive results, but many people would still be satisfied with the score because they passed. The 78% on this test, however, remained with Cousins over the years.
Cousins still keeps a copy of the results hanging above his desk, reportedly to remind him of the importance of preparation. Whenever he sees the results, they remind him that if he does not prepare, he gets C’s.
6. He once had issues with Rosemount High School’s helmets.
His Michigan State days are long gone, but his loyalties remain strong. When he finally moved to a new home he bought in the southern metro, he was irked to find the local high school wearing helmets he particularly disliked. Rosemount High School’s helmets bore a striking resemblance to those worn by Michigan University’s Wolverines, his sworn rivals in college.
In the end, it was all in good fun, with the Rosemount coach even tweeting that he looked forward to coaching Cousins’ toddler son when he finally grew up.
5. Vikings QB Kirk Cousins has a passion for leadership.
The NFL QB Kirk Cousins has a passion for leadership, something anyone would expect from a quarterback. He is extremely vocal, even combative and has emerged as a strong leader for every team he has played on. His teammates know this all too well, as his characteristics often emerge strongly during practice.
There have been a few instances where his passion was demonstrated live on camera, with such antics earning him the name “Captain Kirk” in reference to the Star Trek character.
4. Kirk Cousins went to Michigan State because of Mark Dantonio.
The NFL QB had several scholarship offers coming out of high school, with Toledo and Western Michigan the frontrunners. When Mark Dantonio became head coach at Michigan State, the institution started becoming a real possibility for him.
Cousins was not at the top of Dantonio’s list, but when he could not sign his top targets, Dantonio turned to Cousins, offering him a scholarship, which he accepted. It ended up being the proverbial match made in heaven, with Mark Dantonio describing him as the best player he has ever coached.
3. Cousins applied to trademark the phrase “You like that!”
The phrase “You like that!” is somewhat of a trademark of Kirk’s. He has been known to utter that to opponents after performing well against them.
Cousins and his brother are taking it a step further though. In 2015, the Cousins brothers Kirk and Kyle applied to trademark the phrase, an application that would see them protect various goods and services with the mark, including bumper stickers, t-shirts, hoodies, and various electronic billboard advertisements.
Before applying for the trademark, the two were already selling “You like that!” merchandise to raise money for charity.
2. Kirk Cousins father battled cancer.
Don Cousins was diagnosed with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma in 2015, a type of cancer that starts in specialized cells called the squamous cells, and later spreads to the lymph nodes in the neck. He underwent surgery to remove the cancerous cells in his lymph nodes, followed by six weeks of radiation therapy. He recovered and was strong enough to pull a surprise visit on his son, watching him lead the charge in a Redskins game.
Cousins finished the game with a perfect passer rating and gave his father the game ball in one of the most emotional moments of his career.
1. Kirk Cousins is a talented singer.
Not many NFL players can sing as impressively as Kirk Cousins. Growing up, he was always into music and singing, and was part of the choir at various levels of his education. In high school, he was part of the Living Hope Singer group.
As a professional NFL player, he often wows his fans with his renditions of popular songs through his podcast. He has in the past been captured singing versions of Whitney Houston and Blink 182 songs with or for his team.
Kirk Cousins Contract
Kirk Cousins agrees to 4-year, $180 million contract with Atlanta Falcons. According to NFL.com.
The rare mouth-watering NFL deals he has landed in recent years have been the main reason for his high net worth for a player who has played for eleven seasons in the NFL.
The Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins was also ranked 27th on the list of the highest-paid celebrities in 2020.
Falcons QB Kirk Cousins entered the 2012 NFL Draft after playing four years of college football at Michigan State University and was selected in round four by Washington, 102nd overall.
In May 2012, he was offered a four-year, $2.57 million deal with the Redskins. After that, Kirk signed a one-year, $19 million non-exclusive franchise tag deal with the Redskins in 2016.
In 2018, Cousins was traded to a three-year $84 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings.
This was one of the most stunning contracts in the NFL at the time.
Cousins became one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league as a result of the deal.
When 2020 came around, Cousins signed a two-year contract with the Vikings worth $66 million.
Cousins has earned a total of $230 million in compensation since his NFL debut in 2012.
That’s all 10 Facts You Didn't Know About Kirk Cousins, tell us who you think is better, Kirk Cousins or Dak Prescott?
