In Photos: Kirk Cousins' family welcomes new chapter in QB's life at Falcons training camp
Kirk Cousins is about to take his first snaps as an Atlanta Falcon. To commemorate the moment, he took his family to one of his sessions.
On Saturday, his wife, Julie (nee Hampton), shared a couple of Instagram Stories of herself, their sons, Cooper and Turner, and nephew on the field of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. One of the shots had this caption:
"Our kids and nephew in heaven"
The other had this caption:
"Checkin out our new digs"
Kirk Cousins' wife Julie discusses first date with Falcons QB
It was January 2012. Kirk Cousins and his Michigan State Spartans had just defeated the Georgia Bulldogs in triple overtime in the Outback Bowl. After his postgame duties, he met Julie Hampton, whom a mutual friend had been setting up for him well before the game.
Speaking to Atlanta magazine, Julie said:
“He was so nice. Humble. He was exactly the kind of guy I would like to date.”
He then requested her number, and she hoped he would one day call. He did - after the draft, where the Washington Redskins selected him in the fourth round. But by then, Julie had found someone else; so he was turned down.
Fortunately for him, however, whatever relationship she had ultimately did not last long, so she agreed to meet him at Stone Mountain Park in Georgia. She had modest expectations:
“I wanted to show him—this is me. This is my home. This is how I spend my days in the summer. And then see how we fit.”
Little did Julie know, it would be a preview of their current situation. Two years later, they got married in Roswell. After six seasons each at Washington and Minnesota, where he made four Pro Bowls, Cousins joined the Falcons as a free agent, signing a four-year, $180-million contract.
She reminisced:
“Looking back, I think he was an angel, honestly. He stayed with us for hours.”
The Falcons commence their preseason at the Miami Dolphins on August 9. Their regular season begins at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 8.