THOMASVILLE – The Thomas County FCA hosted their annual banquet at Thomas County Middle School on Thursday night. The line up included multiple speakers such as student-athletes speaking on their experiences at FCA leadership camp and special guest speaker Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins.

“Going to leadership camp two summers in a row has been such a big part of my growth, not just as a leader, but in my faith as well,” said Central four-sport athlete Jaida Pinkins. “Camp isn’t just worship and messages. It’s a mix of everything. We have daily activities, competitions, and games which is perfect for all of us athletes.”

Cousins spoke for nearly 30 minutes, being interviewed by the voice of the Yellow Jackets Randy Young. Cousins spoke at length about his successes and struggles in football. He spoke on many things like breaking his ankle in high school, competing for the starting job at Michigan State, being the last QB taken in the 2012 NFL draft, and even getting benched this past season by the Falcons for rookie Michael Penix Jr.

He spoke specifically about how he was under recruited and didn’t have a groundbreaking rise to fame that many NFL players seem to have.

“I played on the freshman team as a freshman, I play on the JV team as a sophomore, and my junior year was my very first year playing varsity football,” Cousins said. “My football dream was to just be the quarterback for my hometown high school as a varsity player.”

Cousins always came back to the wisdom of his father, who spent many hours in the Bible with his family. Cousins carries a God can overcome mentality with him, reminding him that God is bigger than his broken ankle, his struggles on the field, or anything else anyone will face. Cousins father often reminded him of Proverbs 3:5-6, which says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

At the end of the night, Cousins was sure to praise Thomas County FCA for the special environment they provide to student-athletes.