Tim Couch named to College Football Hall of Fame ballot

The best quarterback in Kentucky football history is once again up for College Football Hall of Fame honors.

Tim Couch played at Kentucky from 1996-98 and broke a ton of records. In two seasons playing for Hal Mumme’s Air Raid offense, Couch threw for 73 touchdowns on his way to first-team All-SEC and All-American honors in 1998. The star quarterback would go on to become a Heisman Trophy finalist before being the No. 1 overall pick of the expansion Cleveland Browns in the 1999 NFL Draft.

The former USA Today High School All-American won Kentucky’s Mr. Football award as a senior at Hyden (Ky.) Leslie County in 1995. Couch had a wild recruitment that ended with the elite blue-chip prospect picking the Wildcats over powerhouse Tennessee. After a tumultuous year under Bill Curry, Couch went on to thrive playing for Mumme and offensive coordinator Mike Leach in Lexington.

.@UKFootball legend @TimCouchQB among impressive names on 2022 @cfbhall Ballot!

Full Ballot: https://t.co/aaQg2Yxvv6

Join the NFF and receive a vote: https://t.co/3nfIaLVtdt pic.twitter.com/twbOQCGLR2

— Football Foundation (@NFFNetwork) June 2, 2021

On Wednesday, The National Football Foundation (NFF) and the College Football Hall of Fame released the class of 2022 ballot with a plethora of former players to go along with a handful of former coaches. This year’s haul was headlined by USC running back Reggie Bush and Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.

This will be the ninth season in a row that Couch has made an appearance on the ballot. The 6-foot-4 quarterback has appeared on the list every year since 2014. However, Couch has been unable to knock down the door yet. Over 12,000 NFF members and current Hall of Famers are involved in the voting process. All votes must be in by the summer before the class will be announced once the calendar turns to 2022.

Couch most certainly has the resume to get in. The star quarterback threw for 8,435 yards in three seasons while leading the SEC in every major statistical passing category his last two years in Lexington. The gunslinger was the first true star of the Air Raid offense. The once-taboo attack now has its core passing principles used by most offenses in high school, college, and the NFL.

It’s only a matter of time before the College Football Hall of Fame decides to let The Deuce through the door. In 2022, Couch may finally break through and join seven former Wildcats such as Bob Gain, Steve Meilinger, Lou Michaels, Babe Parilli, and Art Still in the Hall of Fame.

[National Football Foundation]