GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Quarterback Kirk Cousins finally has back familiar jersey No. 8 for this season with the Washington Redskins, and he even negotiated some funds for his football camp in the process.

Cousins, who spoke Friday at the West Michigan Sports Commission's annual luncheon, swung the deal to get back his old Michigan State number with new Redskins receiver Andre Roberts, and also landed $12,000 for his Kirk Cousins Football Camp held in July at Hope College.

Cousins is known as a leader but he showed he can also be a dealer.

No more No. 12 with the Washington Redskins - at least not on Kirk Cousins.

Cousins, a Holland Christian High School graduate who was assigned No. 12 by the Redskins when he joined the team as a fourth-round pick in 2012, knew there was an opportunity to wear No. 8 after the Redskins failed to re-sign veteran free agent quarterback Rex Grossman.

Then along came Roberts, a fourth-year receiver from Citadel who wore No. 12 in Arizona, and signed by the Redskins in mid-March. He asked Cousins if he could wear it.

Hmmm.

“He asked if I open to be switching back to No. 8, and he reminded me that that was my college number,” Cousins said with a smile. “I could tell he wanted No. 12.

“First of all, it would be selfish of me to say, no you can’t. But we got to figure out something … So I said, ‘Well, traditionally guys do pay a small fee to change numbers. So let’s talk business.’ He offered, and I said, ‘Tell you what. I got a football camp in my hometown. So how about you donate to the football camp and we’ll do it for charity?”

Cousins jokes with Mason Hill, 12, during the Kirk Cousins Football Camp at Hope College last July.

Cousin said the donation will be used for operating costs, such as T-shirts and prizes for the campers, as well as reserving the field space and housing.

“It’s not a small deal to run a camp like that, especially an overnight camp,” he said.

Meantime, Cousins has been involved with OTAs with the Redskins in voluntary training and conditioning in Washington. That gave him his first opportunity to meet new coach Jay Gruden.

“Right now my role is to just learn the system and know the here and now of what I need to be doing,” said Cousins, who is expected to again be the backup to Robert Griffin III. “We haven’t talked about what September or October is going to look like.

“First things first: Learn the system, do a good in practice in the summer and go from there.”

The system under Gruden, he said, is not that different.

“I wouldn’t say so,” Cousins said. “But coach Shanahan and coach Gruden know quarterback play. So from where I sit, they know their stuff and I’m blessed to learn from coach Gruden.”

Cousins, who speaks frequently in the offseason in the Grand Rapids area, was introduced at the luncheon at JW Marriott downtown by Spartans coach Mark Dantonio.

"They say if you get a bunch of leaders in the room, that inevitably every one of those leaders will begin to follow the strongest leader," Dantonio said. "I found myself following Kirk Cousins through the process of his five years at Michigan State. He's an unbelievable leader."

Pete Wallner covers sports for MLive/Grand Rapids Press. Email him at pwallner@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.