Agent GARY WICHARD's pursuit of Univ. of KY QB TIM
COUCH is profiled by Tom Friend in ESPN MAGAZINE, who
compares the pursuit to the film JERRY MAGUIRE. With Couch
turning pro after his junior year, he was "apparently" agent
LEIGH STEINBERG's client "to lose" when Wichard first met
with Couch and his family. After the meeting, the two
exchanged phone numbers and "by late November, they spoke
nearly every day." It was during a trip to the Heisman
presentation that father ELBERT COUCH told Wichard, "You're
our guy," at which point Wichard "decided to drop every
recruit from his ledger," including Heisman Trophy winner
RICKY WILLIAMS, to pursue Couch. Wichard was unaware that
Couch was also talking with TOM CONDON and PETER JOHNSON of
IMG. But Tim Couch told Wichard that despite IMG setting up
a dinner with boyhood hero JOE MONTANA, "You're 99.9% my
guy. Don't worry. I called you here so you wouldn't worry.
... My word is my bond." But IMG guaranteed Couch the same
deal it offered Colts QB PEYTON MANNING: A guaranteed $3M
endorsement package and a $50,000 fee for contract
negotiations. IMG also had ARCHIE MANNING lobby on its
behalf and speak to Elbert Couch, and it then became
Elbert's "opinion ... that they couldn't go wrong with IMG."
ENTER STEINBERG: But Steinberg didn't want IMG
"cornering his QB market," so he called Wichard with the
following information to attempt to "discourage" Couch from
choosing IMG: The Browns and IMG were "feuding because the
Browns had not chosen IMG to do their marketing," meaning
they "might not want to draft an IMG player." But on
January 9, Couch decided to go with IMG, explaining, "Well,
Dad was pushing IMG, and you can't go against Dad." Couch
told others that the dinner with Montana "swayed him," as
did an offer to give his brother Greg an office at IMG.
Wichard's new focus became Cardinals WR ROB MOORE, No. 85, a
client of nine years and a free agent seeking about $5M
annually. Wichard: "To be honest, I don't even think about
Tim Cush anymore. I mean, Tim Couch" (ESPN MAGAZINE, 4/5).
