Ryan Cousins

{{Short description|Canadian lacrosse player}}

{{Infobox lacrosse player

|image = Ryan Cousins.jpg

| position = Defenseman

| shoots = Right

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 1

| weight_lb = 200

| nll_team =

| nll_draft = 5th overall

| nll_draft_year = 2001

| nll_draft_team = Columbus Landsharks

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|4|1|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Toronto, ON, CAN

| career_start = 2002

| career_end = 2012

| nickname =

| former_nll_teams = Rochester Knighthawks
Minnesota Swarm
Arizona Sting
Columbus Landsharks

}}

Ryan Cousins (born April 1, 1981 in Toronto, Ontario) is a former professional lacrosse player. Cousins played for eleven seasons in the National Lacrosse League, winning a championship in 2012 with the Rochester Knighthawks. He was selected to play in the National Lacrosse League All-Star Game in both 2004 and 2005. Cousins plays for the Victoria Shamrocks of the WLA in the offseason.{{cite web|url=http://www.victoriashamrocks.ca/players/cousins.htm|accessdate=2006-12-08|title=Ryan Cousins|work=Victoria Shamrocks website}}

Cousins was awarded the National Lacrosse League Defensive Player of the Year Award in both the 2007 and 2008 seasons.{{cite web |url=http://www.nll.com/article.php?id=2924 |title=Cousins named Defensive Player of the Year|accessdate=2007-05-01 |last= |first= |date=May 1, 2007 |format= |work=NLL.com |publisher= |quote= }}{{cite web|url=http://www.nll.com/article.php?id=3479|work=NLL.com|title=Cousins Named Edge Defensive Player of the Year|date=May 12, 2008|accessdate=2008-05-12}} During the 2009 NLL season, he was named a reserve to the All-Star game.{{cite web|url=http://www.nll.com/article.php?id=3811|title=All-Star reserves announced |date=February 19, 2009|publisher=NLL.com|accessdate=2009-03-05}}

In July 2011, Cousins was traded to the Edmonton Rush, along with Aaron Wilson and Kevin Croswell, in exchange for a number of entry draft picks.{{cite web|url=http://www.nll.com/article.php?id=5109|work=NLL.com|title=Edmonton & Minnesota make big trade|date=July 13, 2011|accessdate=2011-10-10}} Three months later, Cousins was traded again, this time to the Rochester Knighthawks. The Rush sent Cousins, Alex Kedoh Hill, and Andy Secore to Rochester for Knighthawks captain Shawn Williams and Aaron Bold.{{cite web|url=http://www.ilindoor.com/2011/10/09/rush-and-knighthawks-maybe-thanksgiving-day-swap/|title=Rush and Knighthawks make Thanksgiving day swap|author=Jenner, Teddy|author-link=Teddy Jenner|date=October 9, 2011|accessdate=2011-10-10|work=ILIndoor.com}}

Cousins suffered a knee injury prior to the 2012 season, and was considering retirement, but was convinced by the Knighthawks to return.{{cite web|url=http://www.ilindoor.com/2013/02/15/knighthawks-defender-ryan-cousins-announces-retirement-after-11-nll-seasons/|title=Knighthawks defender Ryan Cousins announces retirement after 11 NLL seasons|work=ILIndoor.com|author=Rybczynski, Craig|date=February 15, 2013|accessdate=April 5, 2013}} Cousins' decision paid off, as the Knighthawks won the 2012 NLL Championship. After suffering another injury prior to the 2013 season, Cousins announced his retirement in February, 2013.