Kirk Daniel Cousins was a three-sport athlete in high school playing football, basketball, and baseball (pitcher/third baseman). The 6'3 competitor took his talents to Michigan State University in 2007 where he was redshirted that same year. The following year, he played backup quarterback behind Brian Hoyer. In 2009, he won the starting quarterback job and led the Spartans 28-12 record during his tenure at the institution and a 4-0 record against the school's rival in the Michigan Wolverines.
Cousins went on to be drafted 102nd overall in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins under a rookie contract of just $2.5 million. Which came to be a surprise being that the Redskins had drafted Heisman Trophy winner, Robert Griffin III, the year before. After Griffin suffered some career-altering injuries in 2014, Cousins stepped up and set several franchise records as the team's starting quarterback for the next three seasons before signing an $84 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings. With a signing bonus of $3 million, endorsements, and incentives Cousins has accumulated a career earning of $100.6 million thus far.
Chefs made their way into celebrity land a while ago. But how many celebrities that weren’t trained as professional cooks are actually whizzes in the kitchen? Here are several that come to mind.
Actress Julia Roberts is confident about her cooking skills. “I’m quite a good cook,” she told E! News. “I’m like a closet home ec teacher…I can really cook anything.” Roberts has said she often cooks fish for herself and her kids. And speaking of her three children, “They think that I’m a good cook,” Roberts told People. “They actually told me that I should open a restaurant.” She also relishes cooking for the holidays, particularly shredded Brussel sprouts. Roberts hasn’t published a cookbook, but we did find recipes attributed to her for peach crisp and banana hemp muffins. Or you can make the same summer salad the actress supposedly eats.
Chrissy Teigen started off as a supermodel. Then her love of cooking filtered into her professional life too. At this point, she’s created recipes for a limited Blue Apron release and also just launched her own home and cooking line at Target named “Cravings,” after the two cookbooks she’s released. Teigen describes cooking as “a time of peace” for herself. So maybe peace out to her tuna melt sandwich or the fried chicken wings that are a favorite of her husband, John Legend.
Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, comes from a cooking Italian family. Her father started his own restaurant in New York and also published a cookbook. And apparently, Lady Gaga has inherited the family’s cooking genes. Her Instagram account occasionally features photos of her culinary activities. Sure, sometimes it’s topless cooking. But other times it’s more poignant like in the post she shared about her bringing food to the family of her dear friend who passed away. Want to try a Gaga/Germanotta family favorite? Check out her recipe for whole wheat pasta with a sweet fennel sauce.