Kirk Cousins is having fun bonding with his younger teammates this season, on and off the court.
The Minnesota Vikings quarterback, 35, helped lead his team to a 22-17 victory Monday night over the San Francisco 49ers along with his 21-year-old teammate, Jordan Addison.
Speaking to PEOPLE on behalf of his Kidde Cause for Alarm campaign, Cousins says the age and background differences among the players on the Vikings roster have helped the team bond this season.
“When it comes to our locker room, what’s so great is just the diversity represented,” says Cousins, who starred in the Netflix film Back docuseries this year alongside Patrick Mahomes and Marcus Mariota.
He explains: “Because I’m 35, I’m one of the older guys in the locker room, and then you’ve got guys as young as 21, so you’ve got that age gap. You’ve got guys who come from all over the country. You’ve got guys who come from the cities, guys who come from rural areas, so just the difference in life experiences coming together in one place is a lot of fun.”
Kirk Cousins. Ezra Shaw/Getty Kirk Cousins shares ‘goal’ to play in NFL long enough for sons to ‘enjoy being a part of it’ (Exclusive)
The four-time Pro Bowler says he enjoys learning about new music and trends from his younger NFL teammates. “We’re all exposed to different music that we wouldn’t normally listen to and different jokes and even expressions and slang that I pick up on,” Cousins says.
“I think the locker room kind of keeps me young, and while I’m raising my boys, it’s going to be fun because I feel like I’m not going to be an old dad. I’m going to be like a hip, cool dad all the time in the locker room,” he continues.
As the father of two boys, he and wife Julie Hampton Cousins share Turner, 4, and Cooper, 5½, Cousins is proud to partner with Kidde to encourage families across the country to implement a home fire safety plan with the help of the brand new the reason for the alarm bell.
“I’m a father of two boys and a homeowner, and I’ve learned that about 70% of homes in America don’t have proper fire detection equipment. So I don’t want to be blamed for that, but I can understand how it happens,” Cousins says, adding that safety from the fire is “simply not on the forefront of people’s minds”.
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Kirk Cousins (L) and Julie Hampton attend the 8th Annual NFL Honors.
Jason Kempin/Getty
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The NFL star says that’s exactly why he partnered with the company to “get the word out” and “make people aware of the need for the equipment” and how to create their own fire safety plans.
Amid his partnership with the brand. The Cousins family had their own moment of realization when the fire alarm went off at their home recently. The other day, our fire alarm went off unintentionally, and my older son, who is six years old, started crying because he could see something was wrong, but he didn’t know what, shares the guard.
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The Kirk Cousins family.
Kirk Cousins/ Instagram
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Cousins says this ordeal “was a big reminder” that preparation is key. “Education is a very important part of this whole campaign,” he adds.
Turner and Cooper, meanwhile, have become familiar faces in the Vikings locker room this season, the guard says.
“When they can come to practice, especially in training camp, everybody welcomes them. They’re as big Justin Jefferson fans as anybody,” Cousins said. “So it’s fun to have them around and I think that’s kind of what it’s all about.”
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Source: HIS Education