Kirk Cousins and Julie Hampton Cousins have been married since 2014
Kirk Cousins has been married to his wife Julie Hampton Cousins since 2014.
The quarterback, who has played in the NFL since 2012, met his wife through a mutual family friend that same year, according to The Washington Post. 18 months later, he proposed on a balcony at the Capitol building, and they got married the following year.
The couple have two children together, welcoming older son Cooper in 2017 and younger son Turner in 2019. They also have a beloved dog named Abe.
Kirk is a big name in football, having been nominated to four Pro Bowls throughout his career. Julie often shows her support on Instagram, but off the field, the two enjoy spending quality time with their sons.
Kirk and Julie are also busy running their charity, the Julie & Kirk Cousins Foundation — and in 2022, they bought a golf course together. The animal lovers have fostered a number of dogs as well.
So, who is Kirk Cousins’ wife? Here’s everything to know about Julie Hampton Cousins.
She is from Georgia
Kirk Cousins posing with wife Julie Hampton and their son.
JULIE COUSINS INSTAGRAM
While her husband was born in Illinois and went to high school in Michigan, Julie was born and raised in Alpharetta, Georgia, to Sue and Michael Hampton in 1989. She has two older brothers: Scott and Steve.
Julie stayed in the state for college, studying at the University of Georgia in Athens, a few hours away from her hometown.
She met Kirk in 2012
According to The Washington Post, Julie first met Kirk through a mutual family friend in 2012.
Around a year and a half later, in November 2013, Kirk announced via Twitter that he’d proposed to Julie, and she accepted. Through his friendship with Michigan Congressman Bill Huizenga, he was able to pop the question on the balcony of the Speaker of the House’s office in the Capitol building.
“I was extremely nervous,” Kirk told the outlet. “On the way down driving the car, as we got close to the Capitol building, I was holding her hand and she goes, ‘Why are your hands cold and sweaty?’ I said, ‘I don’t know,’ but I knew it was because I was super nervous.” He kept the proposal a surprise, telling her that they were going on a tour of the Capitol building.
She married Kirk in 2014
A few months after getting engaged, Julie and Kirk got married on Jun. 28, 2014, in Atlanta.
According to USA Today, Kirk wears his wedding band on the field: “My wife was thrilled. She loved it and, honestly, after I started wearing it and realized how much my wife was glad that I did, I realized, you know, I think it’s a good thing to promote marriage,” he told the outlet.
She has two sons with Kirk
In March 2017, Julie announced on Instagram that she was expecting her first child with Kirk. That September, the Washington Commanders — Kirk’s team at the time — announced the birth of their son Cooper on Twitter.
The NFL star shared the news that their family would be expanding the following year, posting a photo on Twitter of 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 Cooper holding a sign that read: “mom & dad are getting me a brother.”
Kirk announced the birth of their second son, Turner, on Instagram in March 2019. “Welcome to the world, little buddy,” Kirk wrote in the caption. “Mom and 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 are doing great, and Cooper is already loving his new role as a big brother!”
In July 2023, Kirk and Julie spoke to PEOPLE about their sons’ interest in football.
“I don’t think they quite understand it yet, but each year they take another step towards really playing a part of it, which has been fun for me,” the dad of two said, adding that he “made it a goal to play long enough before I retire that my boys could really remember it and will have enjoyed being a part of it.”
Julie said that the boys “want to watch the game now. They care about the score,” and noted that she and Kirk “look forward to more years where they can continue along with us and share that passion with us.”
She’s a dog lover
Julie and Kirk have a Labradoodle named Abe, whom they first adopted when he was 5 months old. According to the Minnesota Vikings website, they first adopted a rescue dog named Bentley but had to rehome him due to aggression toward their son Cooper.
“I walked in the front door … and he barked at me right away because he didn’t know who I was. He was already being protective,” Kirk said about Abe when the couple first adopted him. “We’re on good terms now. He lets me know if I haven’t petted him in a while or he needs to get some love.”
Over the years, the pair have fostered several other dogs. “We had tried out all different breeds and sizes, and we had fun with that. But we still could not really agree with what kind we both liked,” said Julie. “I still think one day [Kirk] will get one that he hand-picks, when we have more capacity to have more. But Abe is awesome.”
She runs a charity with Kirk
With her husband, Julie runs the Julie & Kirk Cousins Foundation. The charity works with a number of other organizations, including Bethany Christian Services, Boys and Girls Clubs of America and International Justice Mission.
“Julie and I are passionate about generosity and using what we have been given to impact the world around us,” Kirk wrote on the charity’s website. “We are grateful for the privilege to play in the NFL, but also believe we have a responsibility to manage well what we have been given, and to be generous with it.”
She and Kirk own a golf course
In 2022, Julie and Kirk bought a golf course in Saugatuck, Michigan. “Our family recently purchased the Clearbrook Golf Course from our friends and longtime owners, Jim and Candy Jeltema,” the husband and wife duo began in a statement via the Holland Sentinel.
“We want to invest in this great community, and we see this purchase as an opportunity to do just that, maintaining the life of a golf course that has been in place since 1926,” the statement continued.
She appeared in a commercial with Kirk
While Julie isn’t in the public eye to the extent of her husband, she did take part in a commercial alongside him. Their older son, Cooper, and their dog, Abe, were also featured.
In the commercial for bed manufacturer Sleep Number, Kirk does the narration, but Julie is seen using the Sleep Number technology.
She and Kirk moved to Atlanta
In March 2024, multiple reports from ESPN and other outlets revealed that Kirk had been traded to the Atlanta Falcons, which meant that their family would be moving to Georgia — Julie’s home state.
On March 11, Julie hinted about the news in a post on her Instagram Stories that showed their sons playing with musical instruments as the family were packing their bags.
“Packing up to head south… great time to play some instruments,” she wrote, adding, “Atlanta, here we come!”