Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, who last year led the team in the largest comeback in NFL history, in a recent interview with Sports Spectrum host Jason Romano was quizzed on his Christian faith and how it affects both his personal and professional life.
On top of being a husband and a father of two boys, 34-year-old Cousins is the starting quarterback for the Vikings, who’s been with the team for the last six seasons.
“I’ve always felt that God, in his providence, organized events to make me a professional quarterback because he knew it would be a career that would keep me close to him and teach me more about him,” Cousins said, diving straight into the interview.
“And 2022 was no different,” he said. “It was a great year on the field. We won 13 games. I was able to stay healthy, was able to win a lot of close games.”
“Off the field, there were a lot of great moments with teammates, sharing my faith, and gatherings with team Bible studies, prayer times, and different moments that I’ll remember just the same as the big wins,” Cousins said.
“If Jesus rose from the dead, you have to accept all that He said; if He didn’t rise from the dead, why worry about any of what He said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like His teaching but whether or not He rose from the dead.” -Tim Keller
— Kirk Cousins (@KirkCousins8) April 17, 2022
Noting his involvement in the Netflix “Quarterback” docuseries, Romano later remarked how Cousins almost never curses, despite being such an “intense” player on the field.
“They slip out from time to time,” Cousins admitted with a laugh, adding: “I don’t believe in compartmentalizing your life.”
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“People have asked me, ‘Do you pray before games?’ and I say, ‘Well, I do but I also pray in the first quarter, the second quarter, at halftime and the third quarter,” he said, explaining that his relationship with God is “all the time,” and he’s not going to give that up for the three hours he’s on the field.
“You certainly honor your teammates, you honor your coaches and you honor your opponent by giving everything you have to the competitive arena,” Cousins said.
“So for me, I think when you bring that intensity and the fire, I think it is a great witness. And I think it shows just how invested you are, and that you want to do your absolute best,” he said, citing Colossians 3:23 — which reads: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
The reason he’s taking part in the Netflix series is to ultimately use the platform to “shine his light” and glorify God, he said.
Asked what his favorite “God moment” was in the last season, Cousins pointed to the Vikings’ most notable victory over the Indianapolis Colts, in which they won with the greatest comeback in decades.
A moment that can never be repeated. The greatest comeback in NFL History. @vikings pic.twitter.com/OBPUiAspV5
— NFL (@NFL) March 17, 2023
Led by Cousins, the team recovered from a 33–0 deficit against the Colts and ended up with a winning score of 39–36.
This record was previously held by the Buffalo Bills, who defeated the Houston Oilers with a 32-point comeback in the 1992 Wild Card round.
In preparing for a game, Cousins said he always plays worship music that helps “focus your perspective on an eternal perspective and on who God is and his love for you and the trust you’re placing in him.”
Some of the artists in his playlist include Sonicflood, Hillsong, Bethel, Maverick City, Cory Asbury, Matt Maher and Phil Wickham.
