View source for Hank Ilesic

{{Infobox CFL player
 |name=Hank Ilesic
 |full_name=Henry Ilesic
 |image=
 |ImageWidth=
 |caption=
 |status=Retired
 |import=no
 |position1=Punter
 |position2=Placekicker
 |number=8
 |birth_date={{birth date and age|mf=yes|1959|09|07}}
 |birth_place=[[Edmonton]], [[Alberta]]
 |high_school=[[St. Joseph High School and Ascension Collegiate|St. Joseph]]
 |Height_ft=6
 |Height_in=1
 |Weight_lbs=210
 |CFLDraftedYear=
 |CFLDraftedRound=
 |CFLDraftedPick=
 |CFLDraftedTeam=
 |playing_years={{CFL Year|1977}}-{{CFL Year|1982}}<br>{{CFL Year|1983}}-{{CFL Year|1989}}<br>1989<br>1990<br>{{CFL Year|1990}}-{{CFL Year|1993}}<br>{{CFL Year|1994}}-{{CFL Year|1995}}<br>{{CFL Year|1998}}<br>{{CFL Year|2001}}<br>{{CFL Year|2005}}
 |playing_teams=[[Edmonton Eskimos]]<br>[[Toronto Argonauts]]<br>[[San Diego Chargers]]<br>[[History of the Los Angeles Rams|Los Angeles Rams]]*<br>Toronto Argonauts<br>[[Hamilton Tiger-Cats]]<br>[[BC Lions]]<br>Edmonton Eskimos<br>[[Ottawa Renegades]]*
 |career_highlights=
*  Grey Cup champion ([[66th Grey Cup|1978]], [[67th Grey Cup|1979]], [[68th Grey Cup|1980]], [[69th Grey Cup|1981]], [[70th Grey Cup|1982]], [[71st Grey Cup|1983]], [[79th Grey Cup|1991]])
 |CFLAllStar={{CFL Year|1991}}, {{CFL Year|1992}}
 |CFLEastAllStar={{CFL Year|1991}}, {{CFL Year|1992}}
 |CFLWestAllStar={{CFL Year|1980}}, {{CFL Year|1981}}
 |Awards=
 |Honours=
 |Records=
}}
'''Henry "Hank" Ilesic''' (born September 7, 1959, in [[Edmonton]], [[Alberta]]) is a former all-star punter in the [[Canadian Football League]]. He also handled place kicking and kickoffs. He was twice an all-star punter and played for the CFL for 19 seasons.<ref name=cflart/> He played on seven Grey Cup winning teams, and retired in 2001.<ref name=cflart/> He remains third overall for Most Punting Yards, All-Time Regular Season.<ref name=cfl>{{Cite web
 |url= http://www.cfl.ca/page/stats_indrec_punting
 |title= Regular Season All-Time Records
 |work=Official Site of the Canadian Football League
 |accessdate=22 January 2011
}}</ref> He played one season in the [[National Football League]].

Ilesic, at 6 feet 1&nbsp;inch and 210 pounds, went straight from [[St. Joseph High School and Ascension Collegiate|St. Joseph's High School]] to the CFL, starring with his hometown [[Edmonton Eskimos]] at age 17 in 1977.<ref name=cflart>{{Cite news
 |url= http://www.cfl.ca/article/team-retro-profile-edmonton-eskimos
 |title=Team Retro Profile: Edmonton Eskimos|author=Brian Snelgrove
 |work=Official Site of the Canadian Football League|date= August 22, 2010
 |accessdate=22 January 2011
}}</ref><ref name=la>{{Cite news
 |url= http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/60060577.html?dids=60060577:60060577&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+25%2C+1990&author=JOHN+WEYLER&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=RAMS+Ilesic+Gets+His+Foot+in+the+Door+in+Competition+for+Punting+Job&pqatl=google
 |title=RAMS Ilesic Gets His Foot in the Door in Competition for Punting Job
 |work=Los Angeles Times|date= May 25, 1990
 |accessdate=22 January 2011
}}</ref> His punting was an essential part of the Eskimos' record-setting five [[Grey Cup]] dynasty.  He kicked for Edmonton until joining the [[Toronto Argonauts]] in 1983, where he won another Grey Cup.<ref>{{Cite web
 |url= http://www.argonauts.ca/article/25-years-later-1983-grey-cup
 |title=Grey Cup Roster: 25 YEARS LATER: 1983 GREY CUP|date= November 26, 2008
 |work=Official Home of the Toronto Argonauts Football Club 
 |accessdate=22 January 2011
}}</ref> He won the record for most punting yards in the regular season in 1986.<ref name=cfl/> He remained there until 1993, then played for the [[Hamilton Tiger-Cats]] until 1995. Ilesic came out of retirement to punt for the [[B.C. Lions]] in 1998, playing only three games. Ilesic signed with the Eskimos again in 2001 and to the [[Ottawa Renegades]] practice squad in 2005, but did not play in any games.

Ilesic also punted in 1989 for the [[San Diego Chargers]], punting 76 times in 14 games for 3049 yards, averaging 40.1. He signed with the [[Los Angeles Rams]] in 1990,<ref name=la/> but did not play.

Ilesic is the CFL's third all-time leading punter in yardage with 91,753 yards.<ref name=cfl/>  His 8,004 yards in 1986 is the second most for a season in league history.<ref name=cfl/>  He was on a CFL record seven Grey Cup winning teams and is eighth all-time in CFL history for regular season games played with 259.  His 19 seasons played ranks his tied for fourth all-time.  His is also fifth all-time for scoring single points in the regular season with 185, many coming on his exceptionally long kick-offs.

Unlike most modern-day placekickers, Ilesic kicked with the front of his toe and not the side.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{66th Grey Cup}}
{{67th Grey Cup}}
{{68th Grey Cup}}
{{69th Grey Cup}}
{{70th Grey Cup}}
{{71st Grey Cup}}
{{79th Grey Cup}}

{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME              =Ilesic, Hank
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Player of American and Canadian football
| DATE OF BIRTH     =September 7, 1959
| PLACE OF BIRTH    =[[Edmonton]], [[Alberta]]
| DATE OF DEATH     =
| PLACE OF DEATH    =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ilesic, Hank}}
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American football punters]]
[[Category:BC Lions players]]
[[Category:Canadian football placekickers]]
[[Category:Canadian football punters]]
[[Category:Canadian players of American football]]
[[Category:Edmonton Eskimos players]]
[[Category:Grey Cup champions]]
[[Category:Hamilton Tiger-Cats players]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Rams players]]
[[Category:Ottawa Renegades players]]
[[Category:People from Edmonton]]
[[Category:Players of Canadian football from Alberta]]
[[Category:San Diego Chargers players]]
[[Category:Toronto Argonauts players]]


{{Canadianfootball-bio-stub}}