Who Is Kirk Cousins' Wife? All About Julie Hampton

May 2024 · 6 minute read

Kirk Cousins has been married to his wife Julie Hampton since 2014.

The quarterback, who has played in the NFL since 2012, met her 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.

Cousins is a big name in football, having been nominated to four Pro Bowls throughout his career. Hampton often shows her support on Instagram, but off the field, the two enjoy spending quality time with their sons.

Cousins and Hampton 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.

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, Hampton 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 Cousins in 2012

Kirk Cousins and Julie Hampton smiling.

Julie Cousins Instagram

According to The Washington Post, Hampton first met Cousins through a mutual family friend in 2012.

Around a year and a half later, in November 2013, Cousins announced via Twitter that he’d proposed to Hampton, 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,” Cousins 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 Cousins in 2014

Kirk Cousins and Julie Hampton on their wedding day.

Julie Cousins Instagram

A few months after getting engaged, Hampton and Cousins got married on Jun. 28, 2014, in Atlanta.

According to USA Today, Cousins 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 Cousins

Kirk Cousins and Julie Hampton posing with their sons, Cooper and Turner.

Julie Cousins Instagram

In March 2017, Hampton announced on Instagram that she was expecting her first child with Cousins. That September, the Washington Commanders — Cousins’ 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."

Cousins announced the birth of their second son, Turner, on Instagram in March 2019. “Welcome to the world, little buddy,” Cousins 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, Cousins and Hampton 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."

Hampton said that the boys "want to watch the game now. They care about the score," and noted that she and Cousins "look forward to more years where they can continue along with us and share that passion with us."

She’s a dog lover

Julie Hampton smiling with her dog.

Julie Cousins Instagram

Hampton and Cousins 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," Cousins 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 Hampton. "I still think one day [Cousins] will get one that he hand-picks, when we have more capacity to have more. But Abe is awesome."

She runs a charity with Cousins

Kirk Cousins (L ) and Julie Hampton attend the 8th Annual NFL Honors.

 Jason Kempin/Getty 

With her husband, Hampton 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,” Cousins 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 Cousins own a golf course

Kirk Cousins and Julie Hampton smiling.

Julie Cousins Instagram

In 2022, Hampton and Cousins 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 Cousins

Kirk Cousins (8) kisses his wife Julie Cousins.

The Washington Post/Getty 

While Hampton 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, Cousins does the narration, but Hampton is seen using the Sleep Number technology.

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