Hall of Famer Tim Couch has fond memories of record setting performances at Leslie County

Tim Couch helped change the high school football philosophy in Kentucky. (UK Athletics Photo)

Tim Couch appreciates the teammates and coaches he had at Leslie County High School in the mid-1990’s when he was a record-setting quarterback and is “proud” of what he was able to accomplish with his team. Those numbers — 872 completions for 12,104 yards and 133 touchdowns, all national records — are the reason he will be inducted into the National Federation of State High School Association National High School Hall of Fame Thursday.

“Obviously, that is a great honor that I am looking forward to,” Couch said on WLAP Sunday Morning Sports.

I still remember the buzz his play created. Anywhere in the state you went, fans were talking about Couch and how he was doing what he was doing.

“It was pretty crazy. There was no internet, no cell phones, no social media,” Couch said. “It was all word of mouth. Our team got a lot of attention. Sports Illustrated spent a week with me and even went to class with me.

“Every game we went to (on the road) was sold out. We played a couple of games in Lexington and had a huge turnout. It was so much fun. My teammates really enjoyed it and all the attention we were getting. We played in some huge atmospheres but we loved it in front of the big crowds.”

Couch went on to a record-setting career at Kentucky and then played five years with the Cleveland Browns. But he knows what he did at Leslie County helped change the offensive philosophy of high school football in Kentucky that continues today and that’s quite a legacy.

“We were the first team to spread it out and throw it,” Couch said. “Mike Whitaker was a great quarterback at Eastern Kentucky and good enough to get a tryout in the NFL. He coached me from seventh grade to my junior year. He got the offense from Florida State and brought it back to high school in Kentucky.

“We used the shotgun and spread and it took teams by surprise. We put up some huge numbers and that style just spread across Kentucky and I do think it changed high school football in the state.”