“The National Football League (NFL) player whose style I emulated was Troy Aikman of the Dallas Cowboys. “As far as role models were concerned, I wanted to be like my brother, Greg, who is four years older than me and was an all-state quarterback who went on to play at Eastern Kentucky University. I was always ‘pass first’ ‑ but running was a big part of my game too.

“I also had a burning desire to be great ‑ my work ethic was my strongest asset. We had some very good wide receivers in Dan Baker, Eddie Melton and Ric Hensley.

“We had a lot of talent, but we also had a coach - Mike Whitaker - who had been a college quarterback and put in an offense that allowed me to do the things that I was capable of. “I think I was very fortunate in high school,” Couch said. In the process, he led Leslie County to an 11-3 season record and to the KHSAA Class AAA semifinals, where it fell to Fort Thomas Highlands High School. The following season, Couch had eight games in which he passed for more than 300 yards, including a 533-yard, six-touchdown performance against Pikeville Shelby Valley High School in which he was pulled from the game just four minutes into the second half. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Couch made the Leslie County varsity football team as a mere seventh grader and backed up his brother, Greg, as an eighth-grader before starting the next four seasons.Ĭouch in action for Leslie County High School in Hyden, Kentucky.Īs a junior, Couch led Leslie County to a 13-0 start before losing to Covington Catholic in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) Class AAA semifinals. He also ranked second in career pass attempts (1,372) and seventh in career pass completion percentage (63.6 percent). Following his stellar high school football career at Hyden (Kentucky) Leslie County High School that concluded in 1995, quarterback Tim Couch found his name atop or near the top of numerous statistical categories in the NFHS’ online National High School Sports Record Book.Īnd despite the fact that 19 years have elapsed since Couch’s gloried prep gridiron days, several of his performances still rank among the all-time best in high school history.Ĭouch finished his career with national records for career passing yards (12,104 yards), career passing touchdowns (133) and career pass completions (872).

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