July 12, 1999
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch and Tennessee basketballplayer Chamique Holdsclaw, both No.1 overall draft picks in their respectiveprofessional sports, have been named the 1998-99 Southeastern ConferenceMale and Female Athletes of the Year by a vote of the league’s athleticsdirectors.
Holdsclaw earns Athlete of the Year honors for the second consecutive year,becoming just the second female and fourth athlete ever to win the award inback-to-back seasons. Florida swimmer Nicole Haislett was the first femaleto repeat in 1993 and 1994 while LSU?s Shaquille O?Neal was the first torepeat in 1991 and 1992. Prior to Holdsclaw, the feat was last achieved byFlorida?s Danny Wuerffel in 1996 and 1997.
Couch is the first Kentucky athlete to win the honor since Jenny Hansen in1995, the fourth Kentucky male to win the award since it began in 1976. Thefemale version of the award began in 1984.
“Tim and Chamique have brought much success and notoriety to their schoolsand to the Southeastern Conference,” SEC Commissioner Roy Kramer said. “Theyhave shown the true meaning of what a student-athlete can achieve on theathletic playing field. We congratulate them on their efforts and wish themsuccess in their future endeavors.”
Couch etched his name in the record books as the most prolific passer inschool history and as one of the best quarterbacks to ever play in the SEC.He earned consensus SEC Player of Year honors in 1998 after leading theWildcats to a 7-4 regular season record, the school?s best since 1984, and aberth to the Outback Bowl, the school?s first New Year?s Day bowl appearancein 47 years. In his final collegiate season, Couch completed 400 of 553passes (72.3 percent) for 4,275 yards and 36 touchdowns. His passcompletions total was the best in the nation while his yardage total,touchdowns and completion percentage each ranked second in the country.
Passing for more than 300 yards and at least one touchdown in every gamelast year, Couch finished his career with seven NCAA records, 14 SEC recordsand 26 school records. His NCAA records include most completions in a season(400) and career completion percentage (67.1 percent). His SECrecord-breaking performances include single-season marks for completionpercentage (72.3), passing yards (4,275) and total offense (377.4 yards pergame). He set an NCAA record by completing 83 percent (44 of 53) of hispasses against Vanderbilt for 492 yards. He also set a school record with499 yards in an SEC record 47-of-67 performance against Arkansas.
The Hyden, Ky., native was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1999 NationalFootball League Draft by the Cleveland Browns.
Holdsclaw left her legacy at Tennessee as arguably the best to ever playwomen?s college basketball. She added to her already phenomenal career bybecoming the school?s all-time basketball scoring leader with 3,025 points,which is tops in the SEC women?s basketball record books and is thirdall-time in the NCAA. She also set a school career mark in rebounds with1,295 to become just the second player in NCAA women?s basketball history torecord more than 3,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
The four-time first-team Kodak All-America and three-time first-team APAll-America was selected to the Kodak All-American 25th Silver AnniversaryTeam. She received National Player of the Year honors from Naismith,Rawlings/WBCA, U.S. Basketball Writers Association, State Farm/Frontier,Sports Illustrated and Sporing News. Holdsclaw was named SEC Player of theYear by the league’s coaches and the AP and SEC Tournament Most ValuablePlayer.
Holdsclaw received her most coveted award when she was became the firstwomen?s basketball player to win the AAU James E. Sullivan Memorial Award asthe nation’s outstanding amateur athlete.
The senior forward led the Lady Vols in nine statistical categories in1998-99, registering 21.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.2 steals,and 0.9 blocks per game. During her final season, Holdsclaw set Tennesseerecords for most games played (148) and most games started (147). She alsoset NCAA Women?s Basketball Tournament records for most career games (22),most career points (479) and most career rebounds (198).
The Astoria, N.Y., native was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1999 Women?sNational Basketball Association Draft by the Washington Mystics and has beenselected as a starter for the WNBA?s inaugural All-Star game this season.
Couch was selected from a field of nominees which included: Andy Phillips,Alabama (baseball); Brandon Burlsworth, Arkansas (football); Casey Dunn,Auburn (baseball); Jeff Morrison, Florida (tennis); Champ Bailey, Georgia(football); Michal Chmela, LSU (tennis); Keith Carter, Ole Miss(basketball); James Johnson, Mississippi State (football); TerrenceTrammell, South Carolina (track and field); Tee Martin, Tennessee (football)and Hunter Bledsoe, Vanderbilt (baseball).
Holdsclaw was selected from a field of nominees which included: DominiqueCanty, Alabama (basketball); Amy Yoder, Arkansas (crosscountry/track and field); Katie Taylor, Auburn (swimming); DanielleFotopoulos, Florida (soccer); Debbie Ferguson, Georgia (track and field);Rachel Komisarz, Kentucky (swimming); Claudine Williams, LSU (track andfield); Agnes Muzamel, Ole Miss (tennis); Jennifer Fambrough, MississippiState (basketball); Kim Pietro, South Carolina (softball); and AstaHelgadottir, Vanderbilt (soccer).
Past recipients of the SEC Athlete of the Year Award included:
1998 -Peyton Manning, Tennessee (football) and Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee(basketball); 1997 – Danny Wuerffel, Florida (football) and Trinity Johnson,South Carolina (softball); 1996 – Danny Wuerffel, Florida (football) andSaudia Roundtree, Georgia (basketball); 1995 – Todd Helton, Tennessee(baseball) and Jenny Hansen, Kentucky (gymnastics); 1994 – CorlissWilliamson, Arkansas (basketball) and Nicole Haislett, Florida (swimming);1993 – Jamal Mashburn, Kentucky (basketball) and Nicole Haislett, Florida(swimming); 1992 – Shaquille O’Neal, LSU (basketball) and Vicki Goetze,Georgia (golf); 1991 – Shaquille O’Neal, LSU (basketball) and DaedraCharles, Tennessee (basketball); 1990 – Alec Kessler, Georgia (basketball)and Dee Foster, Alabama (gymnastics); 1989 – Derrick Thomas, Alabama(football) and Bridgette Gordon, Tennessee (basketball); 1988 – Will Perdue,Vanderbilt (basketball) and Dara Torres, Florida (swimming); 1987 -Cornelius Bennett, Alabama (football) and Lillie Leatherwood-King, Alabama(track and field); 1986 – Bo Jackson, Auburn (football) and Jennifer Gillom,Ole Miss (basketball); 1985 – Will Clark, Mississippi State (baseball) andPenney Hauschild, Alabama (gymnastics); 1984 – Terry Hoage, Georgia(football) and Tracy Caulkins, Florida (swimming); 1983 – Herschel Walker,Georgia (football/track and field); 1982 – Buck Belue, Georgia(football/baseball); 1981 – Rowdy Gaines, Auburn (swimming); 1980 – KyleMacy, Kentucky (basketball); 1979 – Reggie King, Alabama (basketball);1978 – Jack Givens, Kentucky (basketball); 1977 – Larry Seivers, Tennessee(football); and 1976 – Harvey Glance, Auburn (track and field).
