Much has been said about the extraordinary young man that is Kirk Cousins.
People have used terms like classy, solid, well-spoken, down-to-earth, genuine, and Christian. These are all things that Kirk is and continues to be, despite the attention he gets.
Oh, and he’s not a bad quarterback either.
I’ve watched him grow up from an un-recruited kid out of Holland Christian H.S. in southwest Michigan, to a three-year captain of my Spartans, to a 4th round draft pick of the Washington Redskins. Just this past Saturday, the Spartans held their annual Spring Green & White game and guess who was in the broadcast booth doing color? Yup, Captain Kirk. You know what? He did a great job. His first time out, but you’d never known it. I’m not surprised.
Like everything he does, Kirk prepares like mad—no one outworks him—and then he goes out and does his best. If he succeeds, he’ll shrug it off and compliment those around him. If he fails, he’ll own it and work all the harder to do better. It all stems from his innate humility. Not a false humility that really draws attention to itself, but real humility; the kind that only someone who knows himself, good and bad, exhibits.
I admit I’ve used his name in vain on Saturdays in the past, but one thing I was always sure of was his will to make himself and those around him better. Going out of his way for others is his hallmark. He never mentions it, but his teammates will tell stories about Kirk showing up out of nowhere to lend a hand, no matter who you were. He takes nothing he’s been given or achieved for granted.
After signing a three year deal with Washington, he went on to have a pretty good rookie year as RGIII’s backup. In his understated, we’re-all-in-this-together style, he goes out of his way to shine the light on Robert, understanding his place in the grand scheme of things. Typical Kirk. But make no mistake, he badly wants to show what he can do. When given the chance last year, he did his job well. But none of the kudos that came his way are going to his head. For instance, what do you suppose he did with all that pro cash? Sensibly, he set up retirement accounts. He furnished his apartment in DC for about $150 and bought a Chevy Tahoe. That’s it. This off-season, he moved in with his grandmother to save money and get free meals.
This is a young man with his head firmly screwed on straight.
Credit his parents for doing a wonderful job! Thank you Don and MaryAnn for sharing him with us. I couldn’t be prouder to share the title of Spartan with anyone else!
When I grown up, I want to be like Kirk.
