October 25, 2015. It was a weird day in Landover, Maryland. The Washington Redskins (as they were then known) were getting absolutely dismantled by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Down 24-0 in the second quarter. People were heading for the exits. Most fans were ready to pack it in and spend the rest of their Sunday doing literally anything else.
Then Kirk Cousins happened.
He didn't just play well; he went nuclear. He threw for 317 yards and three touchdowns, rushing for another one, leading the largest comeback in the franchise's long, storied history. When he found Jordan Reed for that final six-yard touchdown with 24 seconds left, the stadium didn't just shake—it exhaled. But the real magic didn't happen on the field. It happened in the tunnel.
As Cousins marched toward the locker room, he spotted Tarik El-Bashir of Comcast SportsNet. Adrenaline was probably doing laps in his veins. He pointed a finger, bugged his eyes out, and screamed: "YOU LIKE THAT! YOU LIKE THAT!"
A cameraman caught it. By the time Kirk was at his post-game podium, the Kirk Cousins you like that gif was already a permanent fixture of the internet.
The Real Story Behind the Shout
You've gotta understand the context. This wasn't just a guy happy about a win. It was a guy who felt like his back was against the wall.
Washington had drafted Robert Griffin III second overall in 2012. They took Kirk in the fourth round of that same draft. For years, Kirk was the "other guy." The backup. The insurance policy. By 2015, RGIII’s injuries and struggles had opened the door, but the media wasn't sold. They were brutal. Local reporters were essentially calling for his job every single week after a 2-4 start.
Kirk isn't exactly a "tough guy" in the traditional NFL sense. He’s the guy who drives a conversion van and reads books on leadership. He’s "Middle-of-the-Road Kirk." So, seeing him lose his mind in the tunnel was shocking. It was visceral.
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Honestly, it was a rare moment where the mask slipped. We saw the frustration of a player who knew he was being doubted. He wasn't just asking the media if they liked the comeback; he was demanding they acknowledge he belonged.
Where did the phrase actually come from?
It wasn't something he made up on the spot. Kirk later admitted on the Dan Patrick Show that it was a running joke between him and his former roommate, offensive lineman Tom Compton. They used to say it to each other in their apartment whenever someone did something even remotely impressive.
"Oh, you like that?"
"Yeah, I do. So what?"
It was a dorky inside joke that became a national rallying cry.
Why the Internet Won't Let It Go
Most memes have a shelf life of about 45 minutes. This one has lasted a decade. Why?
Part of it is the sheer "Cousins-ness" of it all. He looks like a high school biology teacher who just successfully executed a science experiment. There’s no swagger. There’s no cool. It’s pure, unadulterated, nerdy rage.
The Kirk Cousins you like that gif works because it’s incredibly versatile.
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- Your friend finally pays you back the $20 they owed you? You like that!
- You successfully parallel park a truck on a busy street? You like that!
- The guy you drafted in the 14th round of fantasy scores three touchdowns? You like that!
It’s the ultimate "I told you so" for people who aren't actually intimidating.
Turning a Meme Into a Business
Kirk is nothing if not pragmatic. Two days after the game—literally 48 hours later—he and his brother Kyle filed for a trademark. Most players would have just laughed it off. Kirk saw a brand.
He started selling "YOU LIKE THAT!" t-shirts. But he didn't pocket the cash. He funneled the proceeds to the International Justice Mission (IJM), a charity focused on ending human trafficking and slavery. He ended up raising tens of thousands of dollars off a five-second clip of him yelling in a concrete tunnel.
It’s hard to hate a guy for a viral outburst when he turns it into a force for good.
The Resurrection in Atlanta
Fast forward to 2024. Kirk is 36. He’s on his third team, the Atlanta Falcons. He’s coming off a torn Achilles that many thought would end his career.
In Week 5, playing against—wait for it—the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kirk went for 509 passing yards. A franchise record. It was a massive overtime win on Thursday Night Football. When he walked into the Falcons locker room, the entire team was waiting. They knew.
He didn't even have to lead into it. He just looked at his teammates and dropped the line. The locker room exploded.
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It showed that even after all the contracts (over $400 million in career earnings, by the way), the "You Like That" spirit is still the core of who he is. He’s still the guy trying to prove he belongs, even when he’s statistically one of the most successful quarterbacks of his generation.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Meme
People think he was being a jerk. They see the gif and think he’s arrogant.
If you watch the full video, you see him immediately settle down. He’s almost embarrassed by it. He’s a guy who loves his wife, Julie, his kids, and his spreadsheets. The outburst was a release of pressure.
In a league full of carefully curated PR images, the Kirk Cousins you like that gif remains one of the few authentic moments of raw emotion. It wasn't rehearsed. It wasn't for a commercial. It was just a guy who had been told "no" for three years finally getting to say "how about now?"
The Legacy of the Shout
Does it define him? Maybe. Some fans will always see him as a "meme quarterback." They point to his primetime record or his lack of a Super Bowl ring. But for fans in DC, Minnesota, and now Atlanta, it represents something else: resilience.
Kirk is the king of the "good but not great" tier, but that one afternoon in 2015, he was great. And he wanted to make sure everyone in the room felt it.
How to Use the "You Like That" Energy in Real Life
If you’re looking to channel your inner Kirk, you don't need a 500-yard passing game. You just need a moment of personal vindication.
- Wait for the peak: Don't use the line when things are just okay. Use it when you've come back from a "24-0" deficit in your own life—whether that’s a botched presentation or a rejected proposal.
- Commit to the eyes: The eyes are the most important part of the gif. If you don't look slightly unhinged, it doesn't work.
- Turn it into a win for others: Follow Kirk's lead. If you have a moment of success that goes viral or gets noticed, use that momentum to do something for someone else.
The next time someone doubts your ability to get the job done, just remember: you don't need to argue. You just need to win. Then, as you’re walking away, give them the look. They’ll know exactly what you mean.