Hall of Fame
Position: Quaterback
Years: 1996-98
Place of Birth: Hyden, KY
Date of Birth: July 31, 1977
Jersey Number: 2
Height: 6-4
Weight: 220
High School: Leslie County (Hyden, KY)
Arguably the most decorated player in Kentucky history, Tim Couch experienced tremendous success with a spread option offense that landed him seven NCAA records, 14 SEC records, and 26 school records at career's end. The Hyden, Kentucky, native now becomes the sixth Wildcat player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
A consensus First Team All-American in 1998, Couch claimed SEC Player of the Year honors in 1998 while finishing fourth in Heisman balloting in 1998 and ninth in 1997. He notched seven NCAA records during his time in Lexington, including single-game completion percentage (83%), single-season completions (400), and career completion percentage (67.1%). He was a back-to-back finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award as the best quarterback in the nation.
As the field general for the "Air Raid" spread offense of head coach Hal Mumme and offensive coordinator Mike Leach, Couch produced remarkable numbers for the Wildcats. He completed 400 passes for 4,275 yards and 36 touchdowns in 1998, leading the nation in pass completions while landing second in completion percentage, passing yardage and touchdown passes, and fourth in total offense. His 4,275 passing yards in 1998 set a new SEC single-season passing record at the time.
His breakout sophomore campaign featured 363 completions for 3,884 yards and 37 touchdowns while leading the nation in pass attempts, completions, yardage, and completion percentage. He earned Second Team All-SEC honors as a sophomore. During his career, Couch completed 795 passes for 8,435 yards and 74 touchdowns.
The team went 16-18 during his time at UK, but Couch led the Cats to their first victory over Alabama in 75 years in 1997, a spectacular 40-34 overtime victory. The following year, he guided the team to seven wins, the most in 13 years, and an appearance against Penn State in the Outback Bowl, the school's first New Year's Day bowl appearance in 47 years.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft by Cleveland, Couch played five seasons with the Browns, and leading the Browns to the playoffs in 2002.
Couch has been inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame and his number has been retired. He was selected as an SEC Living Legend in 2010, and he was also inducted into the NFHS National High School Hall of Fame in 2021.
Currently residing in Lexington, Kentucky, Couch is a partner with Meridian Wealth Management. He has also worked as a sports analyst for FOX Sports South and the SEC Network. Active in the community, Couch provided the lead financial gift for Kentucky's football practice complex and participated in the fundraising efforts for the Gill Heart Institute.
