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University of Illinois Athletics

2015 Football Roster

17 Taylor Zalewski

  • Ht./Wt. 6-3 / 225
  • Position PK
  • Hometown Orland Park, Ill.
  • High School Carl Sandburg

Biography

2015 Senior

  • Played in all 12 games as the starting kicker and handled kickoff duties as well
  • Made 16-of-25 field goals (64%) and all 31 PATs on season
  • Hit 10 of 12 field goals inside of 40 yards
  • Average 59.9 yards per kickoff (58 kickoffs, 3,474 yards), including 20 touchbacks
  • Game-winning – and season-long – 51-yard field goal against Middle Tennessee with 2:09 left
  • Tied career high with three field goals made vs. Middle Tennessee and at Minnesota
  • Academic All-Big Ten (2012, 2014, 2015)
  • Earned bachelor’s degree in economics in May 2015

2014 Junior

  • Played in 12 games, primarily serving as Illinois' kickoff specialist
  • Averaged 62.0 yards per kickoff with 28 touchbacks in 51 kickoffs
  • Hit 3-of-6 field goals and 16-of-18 extra points on the season
  • Academic All-Big Ten honoree

2013 Sophomore

  • Hit 12-of-17 field goals on the year, including eight of his last 10
  • Boomed a season-long 51-yard field goal vs. Northwestern
  • Scored a career-best 10 points against Northwestern, making 2-of-3 field goals and 4-of-4 PATs
  • Former walk-on earned a scholarship prior to 2013

2012 Redshirt Freshman

  • Played in all 12 games, handling kickoffs for the entire season and placekicking duties in seven games
  • Made 4-of-7 field goals, including a long of 54, and 12-of-12 PATs on the season for a total of 24 points
  • Kicked off 43 times for 2,708 yards (63.0 ypk) and 23 touchbacks on the season
  • Made a career-long 54-yard field goal, the third-longest in school history, and kicked off three times for a total of 188 yards (62.7 ypk) against Purdue
  • Kicked his first-career field goal from 47 yards, hit 4-of-4 extra points and kicked off a career-high eight times for 511 total yards (63.9 ypk), including six touchbacks, in 44-0 victory over Charleston Southern
  • Kicked off five times for 317 total yards, including three touchbacks, in his Illini debut, a season-opening win over Western Michigan
  • Academic All-Big Ten honoree

2011 Freshman

  • Redshirted the 2011 season

High School

  • Ranked No. 17 kicker in the class of 2011 by ESPN.com
  • Second-team All-State selection by the Chicago Tribune
  • 2010 EdgyTim.com All-State selection
  • Two-star recruit by Rivals.com
  • Recorded touchbacks on 85 percent of his kickoffs
  • High school coach was Dave Wierzal
  • Three-year letterwinner in soccer

Personal

  • Last name pronounced zuh-LESS-key
  • Son of Melissa and William Zalewski
  • Born July 5, 1993
  • Earned bachelor's degree in economics from Illinois in May 2015 and currently is enrolled in a Master of Technology Management program

Career Highs

FG Made: 3, twice (last at Minnesota 11/21/15) 
FG Attempts: 3, five times (last at Minnesota 11/21/15)
PAT Made: 6, three times (last at Purdue 11/7/15)
PAT Attempts: 6, three times (last at Purdue 11/7/15)
Points: 14 vs. Western Illinois 9/12/15
Long Field Goal: 54 yards vs. Purdue, 11/17/12
Kickoffs: 9 at Northwestern, 11/29/14
Yards: 547 at Northwestern, 11/29/14
Average: 65.0, nine times (last at Penn State, 10/31/15)
Touchbacks: 7 at Northwestern, 11/29/14
Tackles: 1, twice (last vs. Southern Illinois, 8/31/13)

Statistics

Season Statistics

Season Statistics

No statistics available for this season.

Career Statistics

There are no statistics available for this player.

Historical Player Information

  • 26

    2011Freshman

    PK
    6'3" 200 lbs
    26
  • 14

    2012Redshirt Freshman

    PK
    6'3" 200 lbs
    14
  • 17

    2013Sophomore

    PK
    6'3" 220 lbs
    17
  • 17

    2014Junior

    PK
    6'3" 220 lbs
    17
  • 17

    2015Senior

    PK
    6'3" 225 lbs
    17