Touchdown! Kirk Cousins gave tennis a shot and realized how much it carried over to playing quarterback

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Touchdown! Kirk Cousins gave tennis a shot and realized how much it carried over to playing quarterback

The Minnesota Vikings star used the sport as a training vehicle during the NFL off-season, and displayed his skills this week in Newport, R.I.

ByBaseline Staff

Published Jul 17, 2022

Earlier this week, NFL star Kirk Cousins showed off his forehand and one-handed backhand on the beautiful grass courts at the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Cousins, who plays quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, turned to his racquet after seeking a creative outlet to stay in shape.

“I love the sport. I was looking for a way to train in the off-season and not just do boring training, but do something fun,” he explained while in Newport.

“Thought about pickup basketball, but was concerned about the risk of injury, so ended up doing tennis and just fell in love with it. Didn’t realize just how much it would carry over to playing quarterback. Can’t get enough of it.”

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Given his time logged on the football field, we'd presume grass is where Cousins feels most at home with a racquet.

While at the National Historic Landmark, Cousins had the opportunity to meet the likes of John Isner and three-time major champion Andy Murray. He cited the former No. 1’s ability to come back from a serious injury as an inspirational source of determination.

“The word that comes to mind when I think of him is his grit. toughness, the ability to come back from injury,” said Cousins. “The way he’s handled not only his career, but individual matches, is inspiring to watch and kind of helps me with what I’m doing.”

It’s been 10 years since Cousins made his NFL debut. He signed a one-year extension with the Vikings in March.

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