On A Day When He Was Perfect, Kirk Cousins Hands Game Ball To His Dad, Who Was Diagnosed With Cancer

Kirk Cousins fueled the Washington Redskins to a blowout win over the New Orleans Saints thanks to his perfect passing rating. Cousins had a great deal of motivation to excel, one special reason was that his father was in the stands, his first game back after being diagnosed with cancer.

Don Cousins was diagnosed with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma late summer of this year, and his grueling treatment and weight loss prevented him from traveling to see any of his son’s football games. But on Sunday, Don was well enough to be in attendance, and it was perfect timing as his son powered the Redskins to a 47-14 victory.

When Cousins was removed from the game late in the second half, he kept a game ball as he stood on the sidelines. He held the ball the entire game, even when he went on the field to shake hands with the other players including some Saints players. Finally, Cousins headed to the stands and gave the game ball to his old man, who is the lead pastor at the Discovery Church in Orlando.

“To have him back was exciting, and then to have a game like that was a lot of fun, giving him the game ball,” Cousins told Comcast SportsNet’s Mitch Tischler. “And he just said, ‘Thank you. Thanks for a great day.’ It put a smile on his face. And it was special for our family, and we’ll enjoy it tonight.”

Cousins went 20 for 25, tallying 324 yards a career-high four touchdowns and one heartwarming moment.

[BleacherReport]