Hank Baskett

Henry Randall Baskett III[1] (born September 4, 1982)[2] is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League for the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts.

Hank Baskett
refer to caption
Baskett with the Eagles in 2010
No. 84
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1982-09-04) September 4, 1982
Clovis, New Mexico, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school:Clovis (NM)
College:New Mexico
Undrafted:2006
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
  • 4× All-Academic MWC (2002–2005)
  • Reese Leroy Hill Memorial Award
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:77
Receiving yards:1,098
Receiving average:14.3
Receiving touchdowns:6
Player stats at NFL.com

A native of Clovis, New Mexico, Baskett played college football for the University of New Mexico. As a college football player, Baskett was a leading wide receiver and earned all-academic honors all his years at New Mexico and All-Mountain West Conference honors in his senior season.

In 2006, Baskett signed with the Minnesota Vikings as a rookie undrafted free agent and was traded that season to the Philadelphia Eagles. Baskett completed his rookie season with the Eagles with 22 receptions for an average of 20.1 yards per catch and two touchdowns. In 2009, Baskett joined the Indianapolis Colts. He returned to the Eagles in 2010, but was released and signed with the Vikings.

Baskett married Playboy model Kendra Wilkinson in 2009. Wilkinson and Baskett were co-stars on Kendra, a reality TV series following Wilkinson's life from 2009 to 2011. They subsequently co-starred on WEtv's Kendra on Top from 2012 until 2017.

Early years

Baskett was born in Clovis, New Mexico.[2] Baskett's parents are Henry Randall "Hank" Baskett, Jr., who worked for the Air Force before becoming director of a social service program, and Judy Baskett, who works as a financial officer at Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis. He attended Clovis High School.

College career

When Baskett attended the University of New Mexico, he was its football team's leading receiver in 2004 and 2005, earning him the Reese Leroy Hill Memorial Award as the team's Offensive Player of the Year during those years. Additionally, he earned All-Mountain West Conference (MWC) honors as a senior, posting 67 receptions for 1,071 yards and nine touchdowns. A four-time all-academic MWC honoree, he graduated with a degree in General Management.[3]

Professional career

Minnesota Vikings

Baskett originally signed with the Minnesota Vikings as a rookie undrafted free agent in 2006 and was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for wide receiver Billy McMullen.[4]

Philadelphia Eagles

Baskett had 112 receiving yards and one touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys and 177 receiving yards and one touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons. For his performance in these games, Baskett was awarded rookie of the week honors. He completed his rookie season with 22 receptions for 464 yards (21.1 yards per catch) and two touchdowns. He was named the 2007 special teams Most Valuable Player (MVP). In 2008, he started another six games, playing in 16 to record 33 receptions, 440 yards, and three touchdowns for a 13.3-yard average.

He headed into the 2009 offseason as a restricted free agent. He was tendered a one-year contract on February 23. Because the Eagles had been carrying seven wide receivers, he was made expendable and released on September 15, 2009, to make room for Michael Vick on the 53-man roster.[5][6]

Indianapolis Colts

On September 17, 2009, Baskett signed a one-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts after Anthony Gonzalez suffered a knee injury. On February 7, 2010, during Super Bowl XLIV versus the New Orleans Saints, Baskett failed to recover an onside kick (that hit him in the hands) at the start of the second half, which led to a Saints touchdown. New Orleans won the game, 31–17. The next day, February 8, 2010, Baskett was released by the Colts.

Philadelphia Eagles (second stint)

On March 12, 2010, Baskett signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles for $800,000.[7] He was released on September 21, 2010.[8]

Minnesota Vikings (second stint)

On September 22, 2010, Baskett re-signed with the Minnesota Vikings.[9] He played in eight games in 2010, mostly on special teams, with one reception. On March 3, 2011, he was not extended a tender by the Vikings, making him an unrestricted free agent, but effectively ending his NFL career.[10]

NFL statistics
YearTeamGamesReceptionsTargetsYardsYards per ReceptionLongest ReceptionTouchdownsFirst DownsFumblesFumbles LostOnside Kick Recoveries
2006PHI16224246421.189217000
2007PHI1616221428.92515000
2008PHI15335244013.390322100
2009PHI11266.0600000
2009IND11410287.0901000
2010MIN6141818.01801000
Career65771321,09814.390646100

Source:[11]

Reality television

Baskett co-stars in a spinoff of The Girls Next Door, titled Kendra, which focuses on his wife Kendra Wilkinson's life after leaving the Playboy Mansion. The Girls Next Door executive producer Kevin Burns serves in the same capacity on the series.[12] The show premiered on June 7, 2009, and had record-breaking numbers for E! with 2.6 million viewers, the highest-rated reality debut for the network since 2002's premiere of The Anna Nicole Show.[13] E! ordered eight episodes. Season 2 ran from March 14 until June 8, 2010. The show was renewed once more, and the third season began airing in November 2010. The fourth season of the show premiered September 2011. The show has ended its run on E! and has now become Kendra on Top which began airing on WE tv on Tuesday, June 5, 2012. Season 2 ran from September to November 2013 and season 3 ran from October to November 2014.[14]

Personal life

Baskett proposed to his girlfriend, former Playboy model Kendra Wilkinson, on top of the Space Needle after dating for six months. The couple married on June 27, 2009 at the Playboy Mansion.[15] Baskett and Wilkinson have a son, Henry Randall "Hank" Baskett IV (born December 11, 2009)[16][17] and daughter, Alijah Mary Baskett (born May 16, 2014).[18] In 2014, reports surfaced of Baskett having an affair with a transexual model while Wilkinson was eight months pregnant with their daughter. [19] The couple divorced in 2018.

Baskett resides in Voorhees Township, New Jersey.[20]

In the novel, The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick, central character Pat Peoples was given Baskett's Philadelphia Eagles number 84 jersey as a present. Over the 2006–07 season, Baskett became Peoples's favorite player and, for Christmas, he received an autographed picture of Baskett.[21]

References
  1. "Kendra Wilkinson's Baby Name -- Our Daughter's A Goddess". TMZ.com. May 21, 2014. Citing "Certificate of Live Birth" (PDF). State of California. May 19, 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 18, 2015.
  2. "Hank Baskett". NFL. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  3. "From Undrafted Free Agent to No. 1 Receiver: Hank Baskett's Unlikely Story". Bleacher Report. August 22, 2008. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
  4. "Hank Baskett". Philadelphia Eagles. Archived from the original on September 14, 2010. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  5. "Philadelphia Add and Released". Brownsville Herald. Archived from the original on December 19, 2009.
  6. "Vick Set to Practice With Eagles". The Washington Post. September 16, 2009. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  7. "Eagles sign Baskett". The Philadelphia Inquirer. March 12, 2010. Archived from the original on July 25, 2010. Retrieved March 12, 2010.
  8. Wulf, Bo (September 21, 2010). "Eagles Sign RB Bell; Release WR Baskett". philadelphiaeagles.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2010. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
  9. "Vikings sign WR Baskett". Pro Football Weekly. September 22, 2010. Archived from the original on September 29, 2010. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
  10. "Hank Baskett - Minnesota Vikings - 2014 Player Profile - Rotoworld.com".
  11. "Hank Baskett Stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
  12. "Kendra is produced by Prometheus Entertainment, Fox TV Studios, and Alta Loma Entertainment". Variety.
  13. "Kendra's Huge Debut!". PerezHilton.com. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
  14. "Kendra On Top List of Episodes". Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  15. Garcia, Jennifer (June 27, 2009). "Kendra Wilkinson Weds at Playboy Mansion". People.com. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
  16. "Meet Hank Randall Baskett IV!", OK!, December 28, 2009; excerpts posted at People.com, December 16, 2009.
  17. "Hank Baskett". Indianapolis Colts. Archived from the original on January 26, 2010. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  18. "Kendra Wilkinson pregnant, expecting a girl". PEOPLE.com.
  19. "
  20. Hank Baskett - Personal Archived September 14, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, Philadelphia Eagles. Accessed March 17, 2011. "Single and resides in Voorhees, NJ"
  21. "Differences Between 'Silver Linings Playbook' The Movie And Book - The Twist Gossip". The Twist Gossip. January 22, 2013.
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