Kentucky Football Countdown: No. 48 Joey Couch

In case you missed it, we are now officially under 50 days from the start of the 2022 Kentucky football season. That’s right — only 48 days until kickoff, folks. For many UK football fans, the No. 48 will always be reserved for a special man.

No. 48 Joey Couch

To say Joey Couch is an Eastern Kentucky legend would be an understatement. Couch graduated from Paintsville High School in 1987, where he earned All-State honorable mention three times for his work on the football field. He played linebacker, tight end and fullback for the Tigers.

As if that wasn’t enough, he also played basketball — and he was pretty darn good at that, too. He was a member of the Sweet Sixteen All-Tournament Team as a senior when the Tigers made the state semifinals. In his time with Paintsville, he played alongside a guy by the name of John Pelphrey. While Pelphrey took most of the spotlight, Couch held his own. He averaged a double-double in the six state tournament games he played at Rupp Arena.

But in the end, he chose football. Couch would go on to become an All-SEC defensive tackle at Kentucky, where he played from 1988-1991. He struggled in his early days with the Wildcats, though. His smaller size made things tough for a linebacker, though. He got lost in the crowd. Luckily, then-head coach Jerry Claiborne noticed. Claiborne moved him to defensive lineman and the rest is history.

Couch recorded 264 career tackles, second on the all-time list amongst Kentucky nose tackles. He played in 33 consecutive starts, earning a spot on the All-SEC preseason All-American list, as well as the title of the league’s “Most Underrated Player”.

But more than all the stats and awards, know this: he loved the University of Kentucky. “That’s our University. The state’s school,” Couch told KSR in 2015 regarding his decision to play in Lexington. “I wanted to be a Wildcat. I wanted to play where Cawood Ledford would call my name on the radio.”

Couch passed away suddenly in December of 2017 at the age of 49, sending shock throughout the mountains. He was an assistant coach with the Paintsville Tigers at the time of his passing. He was inducted posthumously into the KHSAA Hall of Fame last year.

My college roommate and dear friend Joey Couch will be inducted into the KHSAA Hall of Fame tonight. Well deserved. I miss him. Rest easy and welcome to the club Roomie. pic.twitter.com/vKZnv3EIC8

— Freddie Maggard (@FredMaggard606) July 24, 2021

His son Tyler Couch played as a walk-on for the Wildcats, continuing the family legacy.