I need some clarification on Tim Couch's recruitment.

[KingOfBBN]

I was told that Couch had been wined and dined by the Mannings and was all set to go down to Knoxville. So I've got a few questions.

1) How is that possible considering Couch would have had to sit even longer under Manning?
2) What happened to make him go to Kentucky in the end?
3) Was there any other legitimate contenders to get Couch?
4) Was Couch told of Curry's intentions on using him?

 

[Mr Schwump]

Here's what I recall, some coming from UT people. Couch was recruited by Cutcliff and there are those that insisted he committed to UT not only once but twice. Don't forget the thought at one time was Manning coming out after his junior year. No question he was UT's choice to replace Manning. I know of no other school he seriously considered.

Couch's father was very insistent of Tim attending UK. Don't really recall what exactly but Mr Couch had some type of state employment or at least something influential.

Again, UT people I knew at the time claimed Couch committed to UT at least twice.

 

[8titles_rivals270261]

Florida St was actually a bigger threat to us than Tennessee. It was before Twitter and rivals and all the social media sites so it was a lot quieter back then. When he go there I remember him saying that he was probably the most blown away by meeting Bobby Bowden. But ultimately he was a UK kid who loved the state and wanted to take us to another leverl. I think he got sold on curry changing the offense but they planned to redshirt him and stayed with the wishbone. He would have left if they didn't can curry because he felt he was hosed and lied to. Thank God they did.

 

[yoshukai]

I remember it being a 2 team race . Ky and Tenn. He was set to transfer to Tenn. if Curry had not been fired .

 

[Al Big]

Considering the lack of on field success during the Curry years, this may be hard to believe, but with some recruits, Bill Curry was a solid if not excellent recruiter. I know very well another Kentucky Mr. Football who was recruited heavily by UK and everyone else. He told me that the most impressive person he met in the entire recruiting process was Bill Curry. That said, he chose UT. Not long after that I bumped into Coach Curry outside the Shively Center and I told him what that young man had said. He was touched. He said he knew that recruit would be a winner on and off the field, even if it was Neyland Stadium. Today, that former Kentucky Mr. Football is a highly respected member of the bar and a member of the UT Knoxville Board of Trustees.

 

[TBCat]

Originally posted by HeismanCatNole85:
I was told that Couch had been wined and dined by the Mannings and was all set to go down to Knoxville. So I've got a few questions.

1) How is that possible considering Couch would have had to sit even longer under Manning?
2) What happened to make him go to Kentucky in the end?
3) Was there any other legitimate contenders to get Couch?
4) Was Couch told of Curry's intentions on using him?

1) Couch was recruited by the Mannings. Tim and Peyton were actually really good friends and probably are today. He sat the bench at UK behind Billy Jack Haskins so he wasn't concerned about having to earn the job. He was prepared to sit the bench as a freshman no matter where he went. He was probably tempted but those close to the family always stated that he was UK's to lose.

2) Couch was Eastern Kentucky with really strong ties and was probably never going anywhere else. He really liked the Mannings and OC David Cutclif so it probably got tempting but he was always going to choose UK.

3) Several recruited him but I don't think any came close.

4) Couch was told directly by Curry and OC Uzelac that they were going to ditch the option and go to a pro style offense. This was clearly a lie and Couch was not happy about it when he got here and found that he was lied to. That was made even worse when Uzelac started a whispering campaign that Tim was not smart enough to learn the offense, something he clearly disproved. And even started rumors with the media that Tim was likely to flunk out of UK during Tim's freshman year. I think ended up with all A's and one B that year so that also was a lie.

 

[Beavis606]

Originally posted by mrschwump:

Here's what I recall, some coming from UT people. Couch was recruited by Cutcliff and there are those that insisted he committed to UT not only once but twice. Don't forget the thought at one time was Manning coming out after his junior year. No question he was UT's choice to replace Manning. I know of no other school he seriously considered.

Couch's father was very insistent of Tim attending UK. Don't really recall what exactly but Mr Couch had some type of state employment or at least something influential.

Again, UT people I knew at the time claimed Couch committed to UT at least twice.

This is correct on all accounts. Tim would have gone to UT if it weren't for Elbert (RIP). God Bless ol' Mule Head for putting his foot down.

 

[mrhotdice]

He was loyal to his state school and his father raised him right and he was from Eastern Kentucky.

 

[Wildcat Country_rivals83997]

WT Young, Harding Dawahare & Rick Pitino may have had a hand in too!

 

[tnlongdrvr]

Tim's mom worked for the state at the food stamp office in Hyden.

 

[Brock28]

I've got an autographed copy of sports illustrated that had an article about Tim being the #1 high school player in the country. He talks about his recruitment in it. I'll have to try and dig it out and read it.

 

[KingOfBBN]

If only Cleveland didn't draft him, he would have had a decade long career.

Couch obviously made the right choice, I think. He would have sat for two years but probably would have won the national title with Tennessee in 1998 since he was better than Martin but Mumme allowed him to showcase his stuff early and get him drafted number one.

 

[Jay Mc]

As I recall, the Webb brothers were seated in the front row at his announcement on going to UK.

 

[WaywardKentuckian]

I believe this is the SI article referred to:

http://www.si.com/vault/1995/11/20/208351/pride-of-hyden-tim-couch-king-of-the-kentucky-mountains-is-also-americas-best-high-school-passer



http://www.si.com/vault/1995/11/20/208351/pride-of-hyden-tim-couch-king-of-the-kentucky-mountains-is-also-americas-best-high-school-passer

 

[JHB4UK]

Agree with what everyone else described. I would also add that you should not discount that Tim absolutely loved UK. Think it was Paul Horning who told the story, he went to visit Tim during his recruitment, got 1 look at his bedroom which was from floor to ceiling in UK blue, UK posters, UK flags, and afterwards told Curry "dont worry, he's yours".

Cutcliffe's stories on the recruitment are funny as well, how he got to be on 1st name basis with every gas station attendant, waitress, hotel clerk in Hyden from being there so often.

 

[Perrin75]

Originally posted by HeismanCatNole85:
If only Cleveland didn't draft him, he would have had a decade long career.

Couch obviously made the right choice, I think. He would have sat for two years but probably would have won the national title with Tennessee in 1998 since he was better than Martin but Mumme allowed him to showcase his stuff early and get him drafted number one.

I think history shows that no expansion team should ever take a QB as their first pick, and that if you are a QB who thinks that an expansion team is going to use their first pick on you then stay in school. Houston and Cleveland destroyed the careers of two promising QB's. Carolina had some success with Kerry Collins, but it was short lived and he had to bounce around the league for a bit before rebuilding his career.

 

[ukalumni00]

Tim's recruitment was even crazier than Harris or Elam. Dennis Johnson's was pretty good too since many folks thought he was going to Notre Dame or Miami. Supposably no one at UK knew until the morning he announced. Young folks who were not around at that time as well as some in the KY media do not realize that KY had four 5 star talents in three consecutive years. Alexander, Redman, Couch, and Johnson. 2 were rated #1 overall in the country (Couch and Johnson). By all accounts, 95-97 remains the strongest time period of elite level HS talent the state of KY has ever produced.

If the Couch recruitment was in the social media age of today it would have been the biggest recruiting circus in UK football history. Harris is a great player but its just different when its a QB who is breaking national records, plays in Eastern KY, and is the #1 rated player by all accounts. Sports Illustrated is doing a major story on him, etc . Just things you never saw happen to a KY HS football player at that time. Shaun Alexander had some good press as well, but nothing like Tim did.

Hyden KY was the happening place for KY HS football for a 3 year time period. That is for damn sure.

 

[Deeeefense]

Originally posted by HeismanCatNole85:
I was told that Couch had been wined and dined by the Mannings

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Not sure exactly what that means but on the surface it sounds like it would have been a major infraction of the rules.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

Originally posted by Deeeefense:

Originally posted by HeismanCatNole85:
I was told that Couch had been wined and dined by the Mannings

================================================================

Not sure exactly what that means but on the surface it sounds like it would have been a major infraction of the rules.

So was star players having credit cards funded by boosters, but UT wasn't concerned with that either.

 

[KingOfBBN]

Originally posted by Deeeefense:

Originally posted by HeismanCatNole85:
I was told that Couch had been wined and dined by the Mannings

================================================================

Not sure exactly what that means but on the surface it sounds like it would have been a major infraction of the rules.

I just meant courted, I suppose. Hell, maybe they did take them out to eat too. I don't know. There are so many loopholes in recruiting and teams who don't care.