Team Coverage: Tim Couch inducted into NFHS Hall of Fame

HYDEN, Ky. (WYMT) - Just more than 25 years after being named Mr. Kentucky Football, Leslie County native Tim Couch has been inducted into the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) National High School Hall of Fame.

You can watch his induction here:

“I would say follow your dreams. You know I think a lot of people thought I was crazy when I wanted to be an NFL player coming from the mountains of Eastern Kentucky but you know you have to think big you have to believe in yourself you have to think that you can compete with the kids around the state and with around the country and my biggest message to them would be to believe in yourself it doesn’t matter where you’re from it matters to work that you put in And how much you believe in yourself,” said Couch in a news conference Thursday morning.

He will be just the fourth athlete from Kentucky to earn the honor and the first overall individual honoree since 2013.

Here are the other Kentuckians in the NFHS National High School Hall of Fame:

Athletes – Cliff Hagan (Owensboro) 1988; Paul Hornung (Flaget) 1989; Geri Grigsby (McDowell) 1993

Coaches – William L Kean (Central) 1993; Garnis Martin (Bardstown) 1994; S.T. Roach (Dunbar) 1996

Officials – Charlie Ruter (Track and Field) 2001; Jerry Kimmel (Basketball) 2013

Contributors – Louis Stout (Administrator) 2006

”You know just that I really appreciate them. You know, throughout my career and going all the way back to high school and college and through the NFL they’ve supported me and believed in me and encouraged me to become the player that I was able to become. I just greatly appreciate their support through all the years,” said Couch about the people that got him to this point.

.@TimCouchQB said playing at Leslie County was some of his fondest memories of his playing career and that representing his small town in KY was “the best time of his life” pic.twitter.com/SMERpiwbID
— Camille Gear (@CamilleWYMT) July 1, 2021

“It’s a tremendous honor, you know, I’m very humbled and very thankful for the NFHS for inducting me into the Hall of Fame. To go into this class is truly an honor and truly special. It’s a great group of athletes and to be recognized as one of the best high school athletes to, you know, to go into the Hall of Fame. It’s an unbelievable honor for me,” said Couch.

WYMT’s Courtney Layne Brewer went to Hyden to get reaction to the induction from his hometown. You can find her story here.

Couch had a record-setting football career as a quarterback at Leslie County High School in the mid-1990s. He also set three national career passing records – 872 completions, 12,104 yards and 133 touchdowns. He was named National Player of the Year as a senior.

Couch also excelled in basketball, leading the state in scoring as a senior with 37 points per game. He had a stellar career at the University of Kentucky and played five years with the Cleveland Browns.

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