Tim Couch

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Timothy Scott Couch (born July 31, 1977 in Hyden, Kentucky) is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent.

He was a standout Heisman Trophy finalist in 1998 while playing for the University of Kentucky, and was the number one selection in the 1999 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns.

[edit] High school career

As a prep quarterback at Leslie County High School, Couch set a number of national high school records — most pass completions (872), passing yardage (12,104), touchdown passes (133), and passing percentage for a season (75.1). Recruiting analyst Tom Lemming called Couch the best quarterback prospect since John Elway. ESPN ranked Couch as the #6 of the best high school athletes ever.^[1]

Couch also started on the Leslie County High School basketball varsity. He scored 36 ppg as a junior, tops in the state.

[edit] College career

The highly recruited Couch decided to play at the University of Kentucky. During his freshman year (1996) under head coach Bill Curry, Couch split time as the starting quarterback with Billy Jack Haskins. Curry's firing was announced after a 1-6 start that season. Incoming head coach Hal Mumme announced early that Couch would be the starter in his new pass-oriented "Air Raid" offense. In 1997 Couch set several school records as the previously anemic Kentucky offense topped national offensive rankings and finished 5-6 on the season, including a win over #20 Alabama. In 1998 Couch led Kentucky to seven wins (including a win on the road at #21 LSU) and a spot in the Outback Bowl (in which Couch completed 30 of 48 passes for 336 yards and 2 touchdowns, though Kentucky lost to Penn State 26-14).

Following his junior season in 1998, Couch announced he would leave Kentucky to enter the NFL draft early.

Couch's career totals at Kentucky included completing 795 of 1,184 passes (.671 completion rate) for 8,435 yards (including 4,275 passing yards during the 1998 season alone) and 74 touchdowns (including a 97-yard touchdown pass to Craig Yeast against Florida on September 26, 1998). Couch still holds the NCAA record for completion percentage in one game (minimum of 40 completions) at 83.0% vs. Vanderbilt (44 of 53) in 1998 and for completions per game (36.4, 400 in 11 games) that same season. He also left Kentucky holding NCAA records for most completions in a season (400 in 1998), most completions in a two-year period (763 in 1997-1998), most completions per game in a two-year period (34.7, 1997-1998) and career completion percentage (67.1%). His 1998 records of 4,151 offensive yards in a season, 377.4 offensive yards per game and 4,275 passing yards, stood as Southeastern Conference records for years after his departure.

[edit] Awards and honors

• Second-team All-SEC (1997)
• First-team All-SEC (1998)
• First-team All-American (1998)
• SEC Player of the Year (1998)
• Heisman Trophy finalist (1998)

[edit] NFL career

Couch's college success culminated in his selection as the number one overall selection in the NFL draft by the revived-Cleveland Browns. Couch took over for Ty Detmer as the team's starting quarterback in the second game of his rookie season. The Browns front office had high expectations for Couch. Spokesperson John Schober was quoted in 2003 as saying the former Kentucky All-American would win at least six playoff games. But Couch was joining a team that had been hastily assembled in the wake of the former Browns squad moving to Baltimore three years earlier. He spent five seasons as a starting quarterback for Cleveland, eventually facing competition from journeyman backup Kelly Holcomb during his final two seasons.

Couch's tenure in Cleveland ranged from leading the team to a playoff appearance, to boos and inconsistent play, which was partially a result of being constantly plagued by injuries. These injuries were due, in turn, to his exposure to pressure due to the expansion Browns' inexperienced offensive line. [1] He missed the final nine games of the 2000 season with a shoulder injury. The high point of Couch's career came in 2002, when he threw for almost 3,000 yards and 18 touchdowns in leading the upstart Browns to a 9-7 record and a playoff appearance.^[2] However, he suffered a broken leg in the final game of the regular season and was forced to watch as Holcomb threw for over 400 yards in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. This was the beginning of a quarterback controversy in Cleveland that would not be resolved until a year later when head coach Butch Davis tapped Holcomb as his starter. By the end of the 2003 season, after exhausting both quarterbacks with the rotation,[2]it became clear that Davis, struggling with a 5-11 football team, would never give Couch the opportunity to start again.

[edit] Attempted comebacks

After the Browns released Couch in 2004, Couch signed as a free agent with the Green Bay Packers. Couch went on to have a disappointing training camp, and was booed off the field by the Lambeau crowd during his limited preseason appearances.[3] Couch struggled with a rotator cuff injury, that would eventually require surgery, and was sidelined for the entire year.

Couch was released by the Packers during their final cutdown to 53 players prior to the season. Couch filed a grievance with the NFL Players Union against the Packers because they failed to attempt an injury settlement prior to his release.

After undergoing shoulder surgery in February 2005, Couch auditioned for the Chicago Bears midway through the 2005 season and the Cincinnati Bengals in December 2005. The Bears observed that his arm was not back to NFL shape during their workout and did not sign him. The Bengals did not pursue Couch, although Jon Kitna was not resigned after his contract expired in early 2006.

Couch participated in tryouts with the Tennessee Titans in January 2006. He also had workouts with the Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers and the Houston Texans. All three teams stated that despite good workouts, they were not interested in pursuing him. Couch ended up missing the entire 2006 season due to another shoulder surgery, late June of 2006.[4]

ESPN reported on Friday, July 20, 2007, that Tim Couch has contacted all 32 NFL teams to see if any teams are interested in him for the 2007-2008 season. On July 29, 2007 Couch agreed to a two-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Couch was brought in to compete for the 3rd string quarterback position with Quinn Gray and Lester Ricard. He played in one preseason game against the Miami Dolphins and was 2-of-4 for 11 yards. On August 18, Couch failed to make the 3rd string and was released. Ironically, the next week, the Jaguars released former starter Byron Leftwich and Lester Ricard and do not have a 3rd string quarterback.

[edit] Drug Allegations

On August 28, 2007, Yahoo! Sports reported that Couch, while attempting to recover from shoulder surgery, unknowingly took anabolic steroids and human growth hormone as part of his daily regimen. HGH are banned by the NFL. Despite Couch's statements that he never took any illegal steroids, the same reports indicate that he did while taking the HGH. Yahoo! Sports reported it had obtained documents from an anonymous source with Couch's name printed across the top that called for extensive use of drugs banned by the league. Couch initially said he had no reservations about working with someone who endorsed the use of drugs banned by the NFL. (In Couch's attempt to come back with the Jaguars he put on 35 pounds of muscle and dropped his body fat to 4%)[5] This also comes months after Couch said he never took HGH, so these statements have now been rebutted. Couch also claims that he passed a drug test just prior to his signing with the Jaguars. The NFL banned Couch for six games of the 2007 season for violating its drug policy. Couch remained unsigned for the 2007 year. It is unknown if he will attempt another comeback for the 2008 NFL season.

[edit] Personal life

Couch is married to the 1999 Playboy Playmate of the Year, Heather Kozar. He and his wife have a son together, Chase Scott Couch, who was born on August 5, 2005. Couch's son Chase (Scott) is named after Couch's best friend, Scott Brock, who was killed in a widely publicized automobile accident while Couch was at the University of Kentucky. Scott is also Tim's middle name.

[edit] Drew Carey Show Cameo

Appeared on The Drew Carey Show during his rookie season with his coach Chris Palmer in the episode "Drew Goes To The Browns Game" on September 29, 1999 as the team's quarterback during his rookie season both playing themselves (Couch and Palmer) in the episode. Couch became known as the guy who tackled the naked Browns fan streaker in his rookie year and Carey, at the same time, while both were running onto the playing field while the game was still in action. Carey and the naked streaker would later spend time in jail after Couch tackled both of them.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Tim Couch at ESPN.com
• Career Stats
• CNNSI.com Draft Video