Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. Cousins played college football at and started his NFL career in 2012 in Washington.
Here’s what you need to know about Kirk Cousins:
1. Where Was Kirk Cousins Born & Where Did He Spend His Childhood?
Patrick McDermott/Getty Kirk Cousins in 2012.
Kirk Cousins was born August 19, 1988, in Barrington, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, according to his foundation’s website. He and his family moved to Holland, Michigan, during his childhood, according to the website.
Cousins told 247Sports in 2018, “I remember when we left, I said, ‘Dad, does this mean we have to become Lions and Pistons and fans of the state of Michigan and Detroit?’ He said, ‘Kirk, you can take the boy out of Chicago. You can’t take Chicago out of the boy.’”
Cousins added, “We stayed Chicago sports fans when we moved to Michigan, and where we were in the state was actually probably closer to Chicago than Detroit anyway, so we could justify it that way as well. Unfortunately, right when we moved, the Pistons won the championship, so I had to hear it from all my friends. Naturally, all those teams were on TV, so I saw a lot of the Lions through the years.”
2. Where Did Kirk Cousins Go to High School?
Kirk Cousins went to high school at Holland Christian School, where he was a three-sport athlete and led his football team to a state playoff experience, according to his foundation’s website. He also attended Holland Christian for middle school, according to the school’s website.
Cousins, who graduated from high school in 2007, said in a profile on the Holland Christian website, “I had no idea just how much this school would mean to me. It was such an impactful part of my life, some of the best years of my life.”
Cousins often gives back to his former school, “So I want the kids who come through here to have that same experience. I want the teachers who are here—who I believe to be the greatest strength of the school—I want those teachers to be blessed, to feel like they have all the resources they need to impact these kids.”
Cousins added, “My wife and I want to get behind where God is moving, and where God is having an impact. As we look around at different places, we don’t see many better places than Holland Christian Schools.”
3. Where Did Kirk Cousins Go to College?
Leon Halip/GettyKirk Cousins while playing at Michigan State.
Kirk Cousins played college football at Michigan State University from 2007 to 2011, according to his biography on the Spartans website.
According to his bio, Cousins red-shirted in 2007 and then played in five games during his red-shirt freshman season in 2008, backing up future NFL QB Brian Hoyer. Cousins was then the Spartans starter during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.
In 2012, MLive.com’s Chris Vannini called Cousins, “the greatest quarterback in Michigan State history.” Vannini wrote, “Virtually all the major school passing records are his. He became just the 10th quarterback in Big Ten history to eclipse 9,000 yards passing. Yes, the passing yards (9,131), completions (723), touchdown passes (66) and wins (27) come as a result of starting for three years. But the pass efficiency record (146.1) does not. And he finished one tenth of a percent behind Drew Stanton for the completion percentage record, and that ties him for sixth in Big Ten history.”
Vannini added, “Regarding the wins: Yes, Cousins only won one Big Ten championship, while some Spartans quarterbacks have multiple national titles, but that was in an era of running. Cousins has attempted more passes in a season than many of those guys did in their careers. That is a factor. The 3-0 record against Michigan also separates him, even if they were some down U-M teams. … For as good as Cousins was on the field, he was even better off it, and it’s that combination that makes him the greatest quarterback in school history.”
4. Who Are Kirk Cousins Parents?
Kirk Cousins parents are Don Cousins and Mary Ann Cousins. Cousins’ father, Don Cousins, is a pastor, teacher, author coach, according to his website.
Kirk Cousins’ dad wrote on his website, “For more than 30 years, Don Cousins has been engaged in building the body of Christ. He spent his first 17 years on the staff at Willow Creek Community Church where he played a leading role in the development of more than 90 internal ministries and the leadership for each. He also taught regularly throughout the life of the church. Don left the staff at Willow Creek in the fall of 1992 and has been working to equip others in the broader body of Christ ever since. His ministry is now expressed primarily through teaching, writing, consulting and coaching. We welcome you to explore how the Holy Spirit might use Don to serve you and your ministry.”
Don Cousins has also been a pastor at Discovery Church, according to Kirk Cousins’ foundation’s website, “Discovery Church is in Orlando, Florida and is committed to making disciples of Jesus. My dad, Don Cousins, is the lead pastor there. He has spent his life impacting people through ministry and we are excited about what is happening at Discovery. They have three campuses in the Orlando area. The church is non-denominational…it is simply a Bible-teaching church that is committed to prayer and compassionate connection with people in need in both their community and around the world.”
Kirk Cousins mom MaryAnn Cousins, grew up in Iowa. She was a flight attendant for United Airlines. Kirk Cousins posted a tribute to his mother on Instagram in 2019 when she celebrated 35 years working for United, “Congrats Mom on 35 years (and counting) with one airline…your time at United has been the model of consistency, loyalty & hard work. Love you!”
5. Does Kirk Cousins Have Any Siblings?
Kirk Cousins has a brother, Kyle Cousins, and a sister, Karalyne Cousins Blochberger. Cousins’ younger sister is a doctor in Kissimmee, Florida, according to her social media pages. She went to medical school at Michigan State and now practices family medicine, according to Doximity.
In 2013, Cousins tweeted a photo with his sister and wrote, “Congrats to my sister on her graduation from Hope College today! Off to Med School next fall. I’m a proud brother!”
Cousins’ older brother, Kyle, played baseball at Calvin University, according to the Holland Sentinel. He graduated from college in 2009 and now works for a charity in Orlando, according to his LinkedIn.
Kirk Cousins told the Holland Sentinel about his brother in 2010, “My brother is as good of an older brother as you can have,” Kirk said in a phone interview after practice. “He’s my biggest supporter. He comes to every game. He schedules his work and his family plans around the games. He makes sure every weekend’s available so he can be at every game. He started with a friend the Kirk Cousins Fan Club on Facebook. He runs it. We love being together.”
6. What Teams Has Kirk Cousins Played for in the NFL?
Matt Hazlett/Getty Kirk Cousins with Washington.
Kirk Cousins has played for Washington and the Minnesota Vikings during his NFL career. He was drafted by Washington in the fourth round of the 2012 draft, according to his bio on the Vikings website. He signed with the Vikings as a free agent in 2018, according to the team’s website.
7. How Long Is Kirk Cousins Contract With the Vikings?
Kirk Cousins currently has a one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings that will expire after the 2023-2024 season, according to Spotrac. He also signed a one-year contract in 2022 after the three-year contract that he signed in 2018 expired.
8. Is Kirk Cousins Married?
Ethan Miller/Getty Kirk Cousins and his wife, Julie Cousins, in 2023.
Kirk Cousins is married to Julie Hampton Cousins, according to his foundation’s website. They have been married since 2014, according to her Instagram.
Cousins met Julie Cousins, an Alpharetta, Georgia, native who attended the University of Georgia, through a mutual family friend, according to The Washington Post. She has worked as an elementary school teacher and is heavily involved in her husband’s charity and other nonprofit efforts in the community, according to her Instagram.
9. What Are Kirk Cousins’ Career Stats?
Kirk Cousins has thrown for 252 touchdowns during his career, according to the stats page at NFL.com. He has thrown for 37,140 yards, has 105 interceptions and a career QB completion percentage of 66.8%.
10. How Tall Is Kirk Cousins & How Much Does He Weigh?
Kirk Cousins’ height is 6 foot 3 inches tall and his weight is 205 pounds, according to his bio on the NFL website.
11. What Is Kirk Cousins’ Salary?
Adam Bettcher/GettyKirk Cousins in 2022.
Kirk Cousins has a base salary of $10 million for the 2023-2024 season, according to Spotrac. He earned a $6.25 million signing bonus and a restructure bonus of $20 million, according to Spotrac. He earned $35 million in 2022-2023, according to Spotrac.
12. Does Kirk Cousins Have Any Children?
Kirk Cousins has has two children, sons Turner Cousins and Cooper Cousins, according to his website and Instagram. Turner Cousins was born in March 2019, according to Kirk Cousins’ Instagram page. Cooper Cousins was born in September 2017, according to NBC Washington.
Cousins told the Christian Broadcasting Network in 2023, “Well fatherhood has been a joy, it’s been a challenge and it certainly takes a lot of energy! You know, when I leave you start a whole new chapter of work when you come home and it really gives me a picture of what my Heavenly Father is like, looking at me. For the first time I truly have a picture of maybe what it’s like when I have to discipline my son or say ‘no’ or take him away from something that could hurt him. It paints a cool picture.”
Cousins added, “When they experience things for the first time – big eyes and a big smile and I get so much joy out of seeing them experience that! I can’t wait to take them to amusement parks or I can’t wait for them to try food that I love and show them some much joy and so many unique experiences and opportunities ahead of you. I can’t wait to expose them to really all that football has brought our family I think they’re gonna have some thrills a bad as a result of being able to be close to that.”
13. Where Does Kirk Cousins Live?
Kirk Cousins and his wife and kids live in Rosemount, Minnesota, according to public records. His family also owns a home on Lake Michigan, according to records.
14. Has Kirk Cousins Made the Pro Bowl?
Kirk Cousins has made the Pro bowl four times, including in 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2022, according to his NFL.com bio.
15. What Is the History of the Kirk Cousins Meme?
The Kirk Cousins “You like that!” meme was born in 2015 when he screamed that phrase to a TV camera after he led Washington to a come-from-behind victory over the Tampa Baby Buccaneers, according to ESPN.
The video went viral on social media. It was recorded by CSN Mid-Atlantic reporter Tarik El-Bashir, who told ESPN, “This one day I was standing there, minding my own business. Our camera was actually right in front of me, so I’m back against the wall looking at my notes. And I look up because there was a gap between the first group of players and the second group of players. I looked up and Kirk Cousins is looking dead at me. Like, right at me. And he just starts yelling, ‘You like that?! You like that?!’ And I started laughing.”
He added, “I wonder if, in 20 years in this business, this is the way I’m going to be remembered: that my biggest achievement was Kirk Cousins, yelling at me, in his first season as a starter. I’d be OK with that.”
Cousins told ESPN about the outburst, “I don’t know where it came from. If I did hear it from someone else, I wouldn’t be able to remember enough to cite them. It honestly just came out of having a chip on your shoulder, trying to prove yourself and having a lot of passion. I think it’s been a good rallying cry for our team. Looking back at a great accomplishment, just saying, ‘You like that.’ It’s a stamp of approval on a good performance, kinda two thumbs up.”
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Kirk Cousins: 15 Fast Facts You Need to Know