Kirk Cousins Wins Award Named after Packers QB
Dustin Baker
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Described as an award that “best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field, and in the community,” Kirk Cousins is that guy.
The Minnesota Vikings signal-caller won the Bart Starr Award on Wednesday, a feat previously accomplished by quarterbacks such as Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Kurt Warner.
Kirk Cousins Wins Award Named after Packers QB
Starr was the Green Bay Packers quarterback from 1956 to 1971, winning two Super Bowls in 1966 and 1967 and solidifying his NFL legacy forever. And because of Starr’s stand-up demeanor, Athletes in Action and Campus Crusade for Christ created the award in 1989 to commemorate Starr and honor others who walk in his footsteps.
Cousins will formally receive the award at the Super Bowl Breakfast on February 11th, 2023, in Phoenix, Arizona. With any luck, the Vikings could feasibly play in the Super Bowl the following day. We shall see.
In 2018, Cousins and his family established The Julie and Kirk Cousins Foundation to promote faith through various philanthropy channels. Cousins has also been a part of several Twin Cities-based initiatives, including The Boys and Girls Club.
Cousins is the third Viking to win the award since its inception in 1988. Warren Moon and Cris Carter were recognized previously. A couple of weeks ago, Cousins’ teammate, Adam Thielen, was nominated for the 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. So, it’s been a good month for the Vikings version of “good guys.”
On the field, Cousins’ Vikings are 12-3 through 16 weeks, sharpening an appetite for the postseason. The Vikings haven’t danced in the playoffs since 2019 but will host a home playoff game versus the Giants, Commanders, Seahawks, Lions, or Packers on the weekend of January 14th.
First thing’s first, though, as Cousins and the Vikings travel to Green Bay on Sunday for a date with the Packers. Rodgers and friends have won three straight games and need to win two more — along with one loss from the Washington Commanders — to enter the postseason. Sunday’s game for Green Bay is essentially a playoff game in the regular season, so Minnesota has a rare opportunity to play spoiler. Otherwise, the two teams could also meet in the postseason.
These are all the winners of the Bart Starr Award since 2010:
- 2010: Kurt Warner
- 2011: Drew Brees
- 2012: London Fletcher
- 2013: Jason Witten
- 2014: Aaron Rodgers
- 2015: Peyton Manning
- 2016: Thomas Davis
- 2017: Matthew Slater
- 2018: Benjamin Watson
- 2019: Calais Campbell
- 2020: Eli Manning
- 2021: Demario Davis
- 2022: Russell Wilson
- 2023: Kirk Cousins
Cousins is also one 4th Quarter Comeback away from setting the NFL’s single-season record. He has 8 such comebacks in 2022, sharing the record with Matthew Stafford (2016).
The Vikings are three-point underdogs heading to Lambeau Field in Week 17. With Cousins at QB1, Minnesota has toppled Green Bay three consecutive times.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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