RICHMOND, Va. – A mega-salary didn’t change Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins’ ride. He still planned to drive to training camp in his conversion van, one that he bought from his grandparents. But Cousins’ plan didn’t quite work out – and now a portion of that paycheck must go toward a new battery.
Cousins had left the van at Redskins Park this summer. When he went to drive it to Richmond, the van didn’t cooperate.
“I turned it on and the battery was dead,” Cousins said. “I didn’t get a start at all. I called AAA and they were going to take too long. So I just headed down here in my pickup truck and the van will be waiting for me when we get back. Hopefully my wife can replace the battery while I’m gone.”
Cousins used to ride in the 2000 GMC Savana limited edition conversion van to Iowa football games as a kid. He bought the van from his grandmother for $5,000 after his 86-year-old grandfather died in the 2014 offseason. Cousins drives the van during the season and to games, in part because he can accommodate family and friends with a ride after games.
He already had two cars and just wanted another one to transport family when they were in town. Cousins’ wife did not want him to buy the van, but he couldn't resist. There’s a Hawkeyes logo on the tow hitch and a TV in the van, which has been driven more than 130,000 miles.
At one point last season, Cousins had a broken taillight, which he was initially reluctant to fix. Why? “It costs $700!” he said late last season.