Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins had a big year in 2012 — he both joined the NFL and met his future wife, Julie Hampton.
Shortly after beginning his pro career with the Washington Commanders (then called the Redskins), Cousins met Hampton through a mutual family friend. After less than two years of dating, Cousins popped the question, and the pair tied the knot in June 2014.
“I didn’t want a long engagement at all,” Cousins explained to The Washington Post in December 2013, shortly after giving Hampton a ring. “But obviously she needs time to prepare and have the wedding she wants and has dreamed about. But I think it’ll just be fun to have family all together in one place for a day. And I just want her to be happy and think positively on it for years to come.”
Since their wedding, the couple — who share sons Cooper and Turner — have devoted their spare time to charity as cofounders of the Julie & Kirk Cousins Foundation, which works with organizations including Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the International Justice Mission.
The duo are also animal lovers and have fostered a number of dogs over the years. In 2019, they adopted a Labradoodle named Abe, who quickly became a beloved member of the family. “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,” Hampton explained in a 2022 interview published on the Vikings’ website. “But Abe is awesome.”
Keep scrolling for Cousins and Hampton’s complete relationship timeline:
2012
A family friend introduced Cousins to Hampton shortly after Cousins began his career in the NFL, and the duo soon started dating.
November 2013
Cousins popped the question in Washington, D.C., on the balcony of the office of the Speaker of the House. “I was extremely nervous,” Cousins recalled to The Washington Post shortly after his proposal. “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.”
June 2014
Cousins and Hampton wed in Atlanta. Since then, Cousins has worn his wedding band on the field. “My wife was thrilled,” Cousins told USA Today in 2016. “She loved it and, honestly, after I started wearing it and realized how much my wife was glad that I did, I realized … I think it’s a good thing to promote marriage.”
September 2017
The couple welcomed their first child, son Cooper.
September 2018
Cousins and his wife starred in a Sleep Number commercial with baby Cooper.
March 2019
Cousins and Hampton became parents of two with the arrival of son Turner. “Welcome to the world, little buddy,” Cousins wrote via Instagram at the time. “Mom and baby are doing great, and Cooper is already loving his new role as a big brother!”
November 2022
Cousins and Hampton purchased Clearbrook Golf Course in Saugatuck, Michigan. “West Michigan is a special community, and we have enjoyed living in Saugatuck/Douglas since we built our home here in 2018,” the duo said in a statement at the time. “Our family would prefer [Clearbrook] not become a housing development or summer rental community. 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.”
July 2023
The couple appeared in Netflix’s docuseries Quarterback, which also featured Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and Atlanta Falcons QB Marcus Mariota.
