| No. 19, 88 Miami Dolphins | |
| Assistant wide receivers coach Wide receiver | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: April 5, 1976 | |
| Place of birth: Patterson, Louisiana | |
| Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | Weight: 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: Florida | |
| NFL Draft: 1997 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7 | |
| Debuted in 1997 for the New York Giants | |
| Last played in 2008 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
As coach:
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Receptions | 546 |
| Receiving Yards | 6,397 |
| Touchdowns | 35 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
Isaac Jason "Ike" Hilliard (born April 5, 1976) is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver for twelve seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1990s and 2000s. Hilliard played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the New York Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL. After his playing career, Hilliard became the wide receivers coach for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. He is currently the assistant wide receivers coach for the Miami Dolphins.
| TEAMS | AWARDS | MEDIA | BOOKS | STATS | TRADING CARDS | IMAGES |
Early years
Hilliard was born in Patterson, Louisiana in 1976.[1] He attended Patterson High School,[2] where he was a star high school football player for the Patterson Lumberjacks.
College career
Hilliard received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played wide receiver for coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football team from 1994 to 1996.[3] During his three seasons as a Gator, the team won three SEC Championships in 1994, 1995 and 1996. As a junior in 1996, he was paired with fellow Gators receiver Reidel Anthony and both posted 1,000-yard seasons, and both Hilliard and Anthony were recognized as first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selections and a consensus first-team All-Americans,[3][4] as the Gators won the Bowl Alliance national championship—their first-ever national football title. The Gators finished the season with a record of 12–1 after a 52–20 victory over the top-ranked Florida State Seminoles in the 1997 Sugar Bowl.[5] Memorably, he set three Sugar Bowl records against the Seminoles: he had 150 receiving yards, including an 82-yard touchdown catch, and scored a total of three touchdowns for eighteen points.[3]
Hilliard declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft after his junior season, and finished his college career with 126 receptions for 2,214 yards and twenty-nine touchdowns.[3] He was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2009.[6][7]
Professional career
New York Giants
The New York Giants chose Hilliard in the first round (seventh pick overall) of the 1997 NFL Draft,[8] and he played his first eight seasons for the Giants from 1997 to 2004.[9] He became a regular starter in 1998,[9] helping the Giants reach Super Bowl XXXV following the 2000 regular season. He finished his career with the Giants with 368 receptions for 4,630 yards and twenty-seven touchdowns.[1]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Hilliard signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the 2004 season. During his first two seasons with Tampa, he was used mainly as a third or fourth receiver, but in 2007 he started ten games making sixty-two receptions for 722 yards.[9] Hilliard was released by the Buccaneers on February 25, 2009.[10] Hilliard finished his NFL career with 546 catches for 6,397 yards and thirty-five touchdowns.[9]
In his twelve-season NFL career, Hilliard appeared in 161 regular season games, started 105 of them, and made 546 catches for 6,396 yards and thirty-five touchdowns.[1] He also had 126 rushing yards on sixteen attempts.[1]
Coaching career
Forced to retire after a neck injury, Hilliard became a volunteer receivers coach for the UFL's Florida Tuskers in 2009. On May 26, 2010, it was announced that Hilliard will become the Tuskers' new wide receivers coach for the coming season.
On January 25, 2011, Hilliard returned to the NFL as an assistant wide receivers coach for the Miami Dolphins.
Personal
Hilliard is the nephew of former New Orleans Saints running back Dalton Hilliard.
See also
- 1996 College Football All-America Team
- Florida Gators
- Florida Gators football, 1990–1999
- History of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of New York Giants players
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Ike Hilliard. Retrieved July 8, 2010.
- ↑ databaseFootball.com, Players, Ike Hilliard. Retrieved June 3, 2010
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 2010 Florida Gators Football Media Guide, Gator History, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 136, 141–142, 145, 148, 177–178, 180–181, 188, 192, 196 (2010). Retrieved April 15, 2011.
- ↑ 2010 Division I Football Records Book, Award Winners and All-Americans, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, p. 10 (2010). Retrieved April 30, 2011.
- ↑ College Football Data Warehouse, Steve Spurrier Records by Year, 1996. Retrieved June 3, 2010.
- ↑ F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
- ↑ "Eight 2009 Honorees Inducted Into UF Athletic Hall of Fame," GatorZone.com (April 17, 2009). Retrieved July 22, 2011.
- ↑ Pro Football Hall of Fame, Draft History, 1997 National Football League Draft. Retrieved June 3, 2010.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 National Football League, Historical Players, Ike Hilliard. Retrieved June 3, 2010.
- ↑ "Bucs Release Derrick Brooks, 4 Others," Yahoo Sports (February 25, 2009). Retrieved February 25, 2009.
Bibliography
- Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0794822983.
- Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). ISBN 0-9650782-1-3.
- Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). ISBN 1-58261-514-4.
- McCarthy, Kevin M., Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). ISBN 978-0-7385-0559-6.
- Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). ISBN 1-57167-196x.
External links