This Day in UK Athletics History: Couch Selected No. 1 in NFL Draft (1999)

Couch top pick in draft

By BARRY WILNER
AP Football Writer

NEW YORK (AP) – The Cleveland Browns began the Draft of the Quarterbacks this day, April 17, 1999, by selecting Kentucky’s Tim Couch.

Couch, who left school after his junior season, reached a contract agreement with the expansion team hours before the draft.

In selecting Couch, the Browns – awarded a franchise by the NFL after the original Browns moved to Baltimore – opened what was expected to be a first-round run on quarterbacks.

Couch posed for photographs with Browns owner Al Lerner while, in a makeshift Dawg Pound in the balcony, fans dressed in Browns jerseys chanted”Here we go, Brownies.”

“He displayed so much character and poise,” Browns president Carmen Policy said. “He’s such a solid human being.”

Browns and Couch reach agreement.

By TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer

CLEVELAND (AP) – Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch reached agreement with theCleveland Browns hours before the draft was to begin, assuring he would be theNo. 1 pick.

The Browns and Couch’s agent, Tom Condon of IMG, finalized the deal at about 9 a.m., NFL sources told The Associated Press, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Broadcast reports said the deal was for seven years and worth $48 million with a $12.25 million signing bonus. That was a slight increase on the deal Condon got for Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning, the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft.

The Browns are returning to the league as an expansion team after a three-year hiatus, and will usher in a new era with the 21-year-old Couch as their quarterback of the future.

Condon began face-to-face contract negotiations with Lal Heneghan,Cleveland’s contract expert, in New York on Friday night. The two met for three hours before breaking for dinner and said they were willing to talk all night if necessary.

Another report said the Browns had also reached agreement in principle with Oregon quarterback Akili Smith, and would have chosen him if they had been unable to close a deal with Condon.

The 6-foot-4, 227-pound Couch decided to skip his senior season at Kentucky when he knew he would have a chance to be the No. 1 pick in the draft. He openly courted the Browns and appeared to be the front-runner before Smith blew away Browns coach Chris Palmer with a private workout.

However, Couch answered whatever questions the Browns still had about him during a 90-minute workout last weekend that was attended by Browns president Carmen Policy and owner Al Lerner.

Couch was a first-team All-American at Kentucky last season after passing for 4,275 yards and 36 touchdowns. He passed for at least 300 yards and one TD in each game, and finished his career by throwing for 336 yards and two TDs in the Outback Bowl against Penn State.

NFL Draft No. 1 Selections
 

The first choice in the annual selection of college players by professional football with player, team, position and college:

• 1936-Jay Berwanger, Philadelphia, HB, Chicago.
• 1937-Sam Francis, Philadelphia, FB, Nebraska.
• 1938-Corbett Davis, Cleveland, FB, Indiana.
• 1939-Ki Aldrich, Chicago Cardinals, C, TCU.
• 1940-George Cafego, Chicago Cardinals, HB, Tennessee.
• 1941-Tom Harmon, Chicago Bears, HB, Michigan.
• 1942-Bill Dudley, Pittsburgh, HB, Virginia.
• 1943-Frank Sinkwich, Detroit, HB, Georgia.
• 1944-Angelo Bertelli, Boston, QB, Notre Dame.
• 1945-Charley Trippi, Chicago Cardinals, HB, Georgia.
• 1946-Frank Dancewicz, Boston, QB, Notre Dame.
• 1947-Bob Fenimore, Chicago Bears, HB, Oklahoma A&M.
• 1948-Harry Gilmer, Washington, QB, Alabama.
• 1949-Chuck Bednarik, Philadelphia, C, Pennsylvania.
• 1950-Leon Hart, Detroit, WR, Notre Dame.
• 1951-Kyle Rote, New York Giants, HB, SMU.
• 1952-Bill Wade, Los Angeles, QB, Vanderbilt.
• 1953-Harry Babcock, San Francisco, WR, Georgia.
• 1954-Bobby Garrett, Cleveland, QB, Stanford.
• 1955-George Shaw, Baltimore, QB, Oregon.
• 1956-Gary Glick, Pittsburgh, DB, Colorado A&M.
• 1957-Paul Hornung, Green Bay, HB, Notre Dame.
• 1958-King Hill, Chicago Cardinals, QB, Rice.
• 1959-Randy Duncan, Green Bay, QB, Iowa.
• 1960-Billy Cannon, Los Angeles, RB, LSU.
• 1961-Tommy Mason, Minnesota, RB, Tulane.
• 1961-Ken Rice, Buffalo (AFL), G, Auburn.
• 1962-Ernie Davis, Washington, RB, Syracuse.
• 1962-Roman Gabriel, Oakland (AFL), QB, N. Carolina St.
• 1963-Terry Baker, Los Angeles, QB, Oregon State.
• 1963-Buck Buchanan, Kansas City (AFL), DT, Grambling.
• 1964-Dave Parks, San Francisco, WR, Texas Tech.
• 1964-Jack Concannon, Boston (AFL), QB, Boston College.
• 1965-Tucker Frederickson, N.Y. Giants, RB, Auburn.
• 1965-Lawrence Elkins, Houston (AFL), WR, Baylor.
• 1966-Tommy Nobis, Atlanta, LB, Texas.
• 1966-Jim Grabowski, Miami (AFL), RB, Illinois.
• 1967-Bubba Smith, Baltimore, DT, Michigan State.
• 1968-Ron Yary, Minnesota, T, Southern Cal.
• 1969-O.J. Simpson, Buffalo (AFL), RB, Southern Cal.
• 1970-Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh, QB, Louisiana Tech.
• 1971-Jim Plunkett, New England, QB, Stanford.
• 1972-Walt Patulski, Buffalo, DE, Notre Dame.
• 1973-John Matuszak, Houston, DE, Tampa.
• 1974-Ed Jones, Dallas, DE, Tennessee State.
• 1975-Steve Bartkowski, Atlanta, QB, California.
• 1976-Lee Roy Selmon, Tampa Bay, DE, Oklahoma.
• 1977-Ricky Bell, Tampa Bay, RB, Southern Cal.
• 1978-Earl Campbell, Houston, RB, Texas.
• 1979-Tom Cousineau, Buffalo, LB, Ohio State.
• 1980-Billy Sims, Detroit, RB, Oklahoma.
• 1981-George Rogers, New Orleans, RB, South Carolina.
• 1982-Kenneth Sims, New England, DT, Texas.
• 1983-John Elway, Baltimore, QB, Stanford.
• 1984-Irving Fryar, New England, WR, Nebraska.
• 1985-Bruce Smith, Buffalo, DT, Virginia Tech.
• 1986-Bo Jackson, Tampa Bay, RB, Auburn.
• 1987-Vinny Testaverde, Tampa Bay, QB, Miami.
• 1988-Aundray Bruce, Atlanta, LB, Auburn.
• 1989-Troy Aikman, Dallas, QB, UCLA.
• 1990-Jeff George, Indianapolis, QB, Illinois.
• 1991-Russell Maryland, Dallas, DL, Miami.
• 1992-Steve Emtman, Indianapolis, DE, Washington.
• 1993-Drew Bledsoe, New England, QB, Washington State.
• 1994-Dan Wilkinson, Cincinnati, DE, Ohio State.
• 1995-Ki-Jana Carter, Cincinnati, RB, Penn State.
• 1996-Keyshawn Johnson, New York Jets, WR, Southern California.
• 1997-Orlando Pace, St. Louis Rams, T, Ohio State.
• 1998-Peyton Manning, Indianapolis, QB, Tennessee.
• 1999-Tim Couch, Cleveland, QB, Kentucky.