2015 Football Roster
Jersey Number 17
Taylor Zalewski
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-3 / 225
- Position:
- PK
- Hometown:
- Orland Park, Ill.
- High School:
- Carl Sandburg
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)
Illinois Football | Bret Bielema Press Conference 3/5/26
Thursday, March 05
Illinois Football | Bobby Hauck Introductory Press Conference 2/12/26
Thursday, February 12
Illinois Football | Bret Bielema Press Conference 2/4/26
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Illinois Football | Xavier Scott Return Announcement Press Conference Press Conference 1/21/26
Wednesday, January 21
