The life of a backup quarterback is pretty sweet. Nice paycheck, no pressure, your starts come in meaningless games where fans are more than OK with losing, and yet you still get all the off field benefits. In addition to living in a cool city with plenty of action, the backup QB gig is a pretty good gig. And in DC, Kirk Cousins girlfriend, and soon to be Kirk Cousins wife Julie Hampton are excellent examples of the perks of being a backup.
Cousins has embraced life in DC, despite not getting the starting nod till the end of his second season with the Redskins. After a year and a half of dating, Cousins was ready to ask Hampton to marry him. Considering how the two have enjoyed their time in the city, Kirk chose the DC landscape to be a part of the proposal story. Cousins contacted the Congressman from his hometown in Western Michigan to help arrange a perfect location overlooking the National Mall. In an interview with the Washington Post, Cousins explained his thought process:
I called him [Huizenga] to see if I could propose on the balcony of the Speaker of the House’s office, because I had been there before and seen the view and thought it was a great view. He said they could set it up... The view was great. We were trying to get it at about 5 o’clock, when the sun was setting, but it was a cloudy day, so we didn’t really get the sunset. The scaffolding was still on the monument, but I couldn’t do a whole lot about the scaffolding. I couldn’t pull some strings on that one. Couldn’t pull some strings on the sunset. There were two big cranes in the background. I would have liked to have those removed.
The couple is not interested in a lengthy engagement, with a June 2014 date already set in Hampton's hometown of Atlanta. Depending on how his audition goes with the Redskins for the final 3 games of 2013, Cousins may be the franchise QB for a new team. Best of luck to the couple.