[brihart66]

Posted: Fri 9:16 PM, Sep 25, 2009
My dads first cousin Rick Kestner still holds SEC receiving records and if I am not mistaken was on the undefeated Dolphins. I saw his SUPERBOWL ring when I was a kid. Tragically his house burned down and he lost it. How many kids from POND CREEK or eastern KY can say they they were a SUPERBOWL champ. When Rick took you to watch the CATS he was royalty. You set box seats you got to go in the locker room and meet the players. Whether it was basketball, football or baseball. It was freaking great as a kid to meet Bouie and all those guys and Joe B.


27Sportsfirst has learned former UK Receiver Rick Kestner passed away tonight of a massive heart attack.

Kestner, who was a three year letterman at Kentucky from 1963-64-65, was a big time player for cats having his jersey number retired.
One of the highlights of Kestner career in blue was his performance in the 1964 season. He hauled in nine passes for 185 yards and 3 touchdowns in leading the Wildcats to a 27-21 upset of #1 ranked Ole Miss.

Rick Kestner played professional football for the Baltimore Colts during the 1966-67 season, then for the Miami Dolphins from 1967-1978, according to the UK Media Guide.

[JustThinking]

Tim Couch is the best ever from Eastern Kentucky. How many other #1 Draft Picks ?

[Wild Bill Hiccup]

Obviously Tim Couch(Leslie Co.)
Joey Couch (Paintsville)
Durrell White (Bell Co/Middlesboro)
John Ortega (Prestonsburg)
Nate Leslie (Prestonsburg)
Jeremy Caudill (Prestonsburg)
??? Asher (Clay County)

[THINBLUELINE411]

Jermon Jackson from Ironton Ohio right across the river from Ashland and Russell. Aaron Miller first team all SEC as freshman from east carter.

[justthefacts]

Astor “Cat” Sizemore, Hazard, Virginia Tech

[bandit57]

Ron Cain
Cumberland

[PHS DYNASTY]

Gotta add:

1. Greg Hackney
2. Bobby Deramus
3. Matt Blair
4. Tim Honaker
5. Chris McNamee
6. Jeff Roop
7. Sean Neeley
8 Steve Bailey
9.Brent Coleman
10.Doug Powers
11.Brayden "Bull Hunter"
12. Conner Roberts
13.Bob Shurtleff

All from Pikeville

[OutlawJoseyWales]

Tim Couch is the best ever from Eastern Kentucky. How many other #1 Draft Picks ?

Absolutely. Without question. There are several others who have had great careers....for all sorts of schools....at all different levels. However Tim Couch is without question the BEST to ever come out of the mountains.

[MayfieldCardinal]

Im not from EKY, don't really even like E KY and the lack of good level ground for the most part. Not being from there I think the best player ever would be Couch when looking at it like I am from a distance. He was a household name even in high school, had a even better college career and did ok in pros. I can not believe that no one has mentioned the great Rodger Bird who played for the Raiders in the NFL

[Westside]

Someone who deserves mentioning is Brandon "Bubba" Combs of Betsy Layne. He was All-American at Morehead State in the late 90's.

[pjdoug]

Absolutely. Without question. There are several others who have had great careers....for all sorts of schools....at all different levels. However Tim Couch is without question the BEST to ever come out of the mountains.

He is the best high school quarterback that I've ever seen play and I've seen some good ones.

[OutlawJoseyWales]

He is the best high school quarterback that I've ever seen play and I've seen some good ones.

Dougie.....I agree wholeheartedly. 👍🏼

[Blacksmith]

Jeremy Caudill from Prestonsburg. 4 year player at UK and a season in the NFL.. maybe one of the strongest high school players ever in the state

[BUCK_WILD]

Jarrod Lawson.

[pjdoug]

Jarrod Lawson.

Corbin should be on here bragging on this Whitley County great :biggrin:

[pjdoug]

Michael West at Lawrence County was fun to watch if your team wasn't playing against him.

[pjdoug]

Ricky Bowling and Neil warren of South Laurel and Zach Lewis of Clay County . Riley Hall of Pulaski County are other good quarterbacks I can think of.

[pjdoug]

The David Jones that I saw play wore red and had belfry on his chest. Maybe there are two David Jones. ????

All West Virginians wear Belfry jerseys.

[pjdoug]

Cumberland High School in Harlan County has produced some good atheletes:

George Massey played DL at UK

Charles Tinsley played for the Philadelphia Phillies minor leagues for a while then played football at EKU.

Freddie Maggard-QB at UK

The Indians were tough for sure. All the Harlan County schools have produced some great athletes. Cawood used to be tough and one of the most dreaded schools to play against in East Kentucky. Lynch is also one of the greatest football programs to ever play in Kentucky.

[OutlawJoseyWales]

All West Virginians wear Belfry jerseys.

Not all West Virginians......but most do.....

[pjdoug]

By some people's standards that would make Lewis, and Ricky Bowling from South Laurel, better than Couch.

Couch was the best QB I've ever seen from the mountains, and probably one of the best all around football players. My top choices would be these guys.

Tim Couch - Leslie Co.
John Ortega - Prestonsburg
Doug Howard - Belfry
David Jones - Belfry
Justin Haddix - Breathitt
Donte Wright - Lawrence Co.
Mike West - Lawrence Co.
Durrell White - Middlesboro
Jon Chapman - Breathitt/Pikeville
Lee Renfro - Pulaski SW
Cole Draughn - Pulaski Co.

Couch was the best I've ever seen, and some people don't realize what a great athlete he is. He didn't just stand there and throw the ball. He might pass for 350 yards and rush for another 150 yards while scoring 7 touchdowns against a good team. The defense could punish him and that just made him better.

[pjdoug]

Jeremy Caudill may have started at UK, but he didn't really do much while he was in highschool. He was a paper athlete, as in he has the size, the speed, and the strength . But he never really dominated ball games like he SHOULD have when he was in high school. IMO one of his teammates Nathan Leslie, who went to Marshall, was a much better player then he was.

then he was what?

[pjdoug]

Im not from EKY, don't really even like E KY and the lack of good level ground for the most part. Not being from there I think the best player ever would be Couch when looking at it like I am from a distance. He was a household name even in high school, had a even better college career and did ok in pros. I can not believe that no one has mentioned the great Rodger Bird who played for the Raiders in the NFL

ALL The Bird's should be named here.

[pjdoug]

Not all West Virginians......but most do.....

I tried to be nice and resist, but couldn't. lol

[Patriot1]

There has been a lot of great players that came out of eastern Kentucky, some that didn’t even attend college. A lot of guys on this thread (and women Granny Bear) remember when there wasn’t all this hype with social media and really not much media at all maybe a few home town newspapers. I like a lot on here believe Tim Couch was the best football player to come out of this part of the state.

[pjdoug]

There has been a lot of great players that came out of eastern Kentucky, some that didn’t even attend college. A lot of guys on this thread (and women Granny Bear) remember when there wasn’t all this hype with social media and really not much media at all maybe a few home town newspapers. I like a lot on here believe Tim Couch was the best football player to come out of this part of the state.

I've never seen a better one. He was also one of the best basketball players.

[MayfieldCardinal]

ALL The Bird's should be named here.

Didn't Roy Kidd have a big time high school career for Corbin?

[PHS DYNASTY]

I've never seen a better one. He was also one of the best basketball players.

pjdoug, just e-mail me one of those pulled pork sandwiches and a cold Bud, good buddy ! Looks like you got that the way it should be.:biggrin:

[pjdoug]

pjdoug, just e-mail me one of those pulled pork sandwiches and a cold Bud, good buddy ! Looks like you got that the way it should be.:biggrin:

Lol. Don't know if I'll cook between now and then but will probably be in Pikeville soon

[Talon]

Chris Jennings RB/LB Fairview High School , University Of Arizona , Cleveland Browns, & New York Jets