Photo by UK Athletics
It’s great that Tim Couch is on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot again in 2023 — but it is time for the former University of Kentucky quarterback and No. 1 overall NFL draft pick to be selected for induction into the Hall of Fame.
Couch is one of 80 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 96 players and 33 coaches from the divisional ranks the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame has on the ballot.
Couch revitalized Kentucky football playing two years for coach Hal Mumme. He left UK for the NFL after his junior season and was the first pick of the Cleveland Browns in the 1999 NFL draft after being named a first-team All-American and consensus Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in 1998.
He threw for 4,275 yards and 36 touchdowns by completing 400 of 553 passes in 1998 and led the nation in pass completions while ranking second in completion percentage, passing yardage and touchdown passes, and fourth in total offense.
He led Kentucky to its first New Year’s Day bowl game in 47 years and was fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting — and probably should have been higher. He was also a finalist for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award as a junior and sophomore.
Couch played under coach Bill Curry his freshman season before Curry was fired and Mumme arrived. As a sophomore Couch completed 363 of 547 passes completed for 3,884 yards and 37 touchdowns while leading the nation in pass attempts, completions, yardage, and completion percentage.
In his career Couch threw for 8,435 yards and 74 touchdowns by completing 795 of 1,184 passes. He finished his career with seven NCAA records, 14 SEC records and 26 school records and lived up to all the hype he created with his record-setting prep career at Leslie County that already has him in the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) National High School Hall of Fame.
Couch certainly easily meets all the criteria for being elected to the Hall of Fame.
— Must have received First-Team All-America recognition by a selector that is recognized by the NCAA and utilized to comprise its consensus All-America teams.
— Eligible for consideration by the Foundation’s Honors Courts 10 full seasons after his final year of intercollegiate football played.
— While each nominee’s football achievements in college are of prime consideration, his post-football record as a citizen is also weighed. He must have proven himself worthy as a citizen, carrying the ideals of football forward into his relations with his community. Consideration may also be given for academic honors and whether the candidate earned a college degree.
— Must have played their last year of intercollegiate football within the last 50 years. Players who are playing professionally and coaches who are coaching on the professional level are not eligible until after they retire.
“It’s an enormous honor to just be on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot considering more than 5.54 million people have played college football and only 1,056 players have been inducted,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “Being in today’s elite group means an individual is truly among the greatest to have ever played the game.”
So why is Couch not yet in the Hall of Fame? He has the numbers and was a No. 1 overall NFL draft pick. Maybe it’s a bias against Kentucky football but UK winning 10 games two of the last four years has brought a lot more credibility to Kentucky football. Should that impact Couch’s selection? No. Could it help influence votes? Yes.
Kentucky fans can help with the vote, too. Just join the National Football Foundation and you get a vote and you can do that by contacting NFF Director of Membership Ron Dilatush at rdilatush@footballfoundation.com. The annual membership fee is $50 and the NFF has chapters in 47 states and over 10,000 members.
The membership vote determines which candidates have their names sent to the final selection committee. Couch got a lot of votes last year but having UK football fans becoming NFF members and voting for Couch can only help him get where he belongs in the NFF Hall of Fame.
