Henning Likes Look of New Punter

SAN DIEGO — As recently as Monday, Charger punter Lewis Colbert received a vote of confidence from Coach Dan Henning. Twenty-four hours later, Colbert was gone.

Canadian import Hank Ilesic became the second candidate to fill the shoes of perennially successful Ralf Mojsiejenko, and Henning gave him a rave review after seeing him punt for the first time in practice Wednesday.

“Ilesic really looks the part,” Henning said. “He has as quick a get-off time as I’ve ever seen. His average for 16 kicks today was 1.8 or 1.9 seconds. He even has room to slow down. He stands in a crouch and moves into the ball.”

Henning added that Ilesic might kick off as well as punt when the Chargers meet the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

“He had a 62-yard average kicking off in the Canadian League,” Henning said. “Figuring in onside kicks and popup kicks, he’s probably a goal-line kicker.

“We won’t practice kickoffs until tomorrow, and we’ll decide then about Sunday. He’s a straight-on kicker and we have to get him a square-toed shoe. It’s possible he’ll even kick long field goals. He kicked 30 one year in Canada. We want to utilize him to the fullest.”

Ilesic, 30, who is of Austrian-Yugoslavian descent, averaged 45.4 yards per punt in the CFL. He is the only player in the NFL without college experience, having joined the Edmonton Eskimos in 1977 after his junior year in high school. He spent six seasons with the Eskimos and was in his seventh season with the Toronto Argonauts when he obtained his release last week, clearing the way for him to switch to the NFL.

“I’ve wanted to be in the NFL for many years,” Ilesic said. “The problem is, the CFL likes to keep its own people, especially kickers and high-profile players.”

Ilesic noted that players can’t play out their options in the CFL as in the NFL.

“You’re always under contract,” Ilesic said. “I had a contract dispute with Edmonton in ‘82, and Dallas wanted to sign me. We had a deal worked out to get me out of the league but it fell through and I wound up in Toronto.

“I was very persistent, and I persevered. The Argonauts finally came up with an agreement to release me.”

Colbert averaged only 33.3 yards, last in the AFC, in his two games as the Charger punter. Mojsiejenko, traded to the Redskins at cutdown time for a seventh-round draft choice, is tied for second place in the NFC with a 44.8 average.

Still, Charger kicker Chris Bahr said Colbert was treated unfairly.

“I would have liked to see him get a better shot,” Bahr said. “It seems to me that an awful lot was written about the punting, and there are a lot of places where we need to improve.”

Charger Notes

Running back Marion Butts (knee) and defensive end Burt Grossman (foot) were listed as questionable on the Chargers’ injury report. Both worked out, but Coach Dan Henning said he was less optimistic about Grossman than Butts for Sunday’s game against Kansas City. Grossman said he would be ready. . . . Quarterback Jim McMahon (groin) was listed as probable and took most of the snaps Wednesday. Also probable are linebacker Jim Collins (toe and knee), guard Dave Richards (concussion), safety Vencie Glenn (concussion), cornerback Sam Seale (concussion), cornerback Gill Byrd (ankle) and linebacker Gary Plummer (neck). The Chiefs’ injury report: linebacker Angelo Snipes (knee), out; running back Kenny Gamble (foot and shoulder), linebacker Derrick Thomas (groin), linebacker Dino Hackett (ankle), defensive end Leonard Griffin (knee) and running back James Saxon (shoulder), questionable; tackle Irv Eatman (shoulder), guard Dave Lutz (hamstring), center Mike Webster (ribs), center Michael Morris (groin), wide receiver Carlos Carson (groin), wide receiver Robb Thomas (neck), tight end Jonathon Hayes (shoulder), defensive end Mike Bell (calf) and cornerback Alfred Lewis (ankle), probable. . . . Chiefs Coach Marty Schottenheimer, who was considered last winter for the San Diego coaching vacancy, said in a conference call Wednesday, “We had some dialogue on a couple of occasions, but the job was never offered to me by the Chargers. It became clear that they obviously had made another decision.”