Bill Hatanaka

Bill HatanakaNo. 16, 10[1]

Date of birth|  (1954-05-03) May 3, 1954 (age 70)
Place of birth| Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada
Career information
CFL status| National
Position(s)| WR
Height| 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight| 172 lb (78 kg)
Canada university| York
CFL draft| 1976 / round: 1 / pick: 6
Drafted by| Ottawa Rough Riders
Career history
As player
1976–1978| Ottawa Rough Riders
1979| Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Career highlights and awards

* Grey Cup champion (1976)

William Hatanaka (born May 3, 1954) is a Canadian former professional football wide receiver who played four seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Ottawa Rough Riders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He was selected by the Rough Riders in the first round of the 1976 CFL draft after playing CIAU football at York University. He was a member of the Rough Riders team that won the 64th Grey Cup, where he scored the first punt return touchdown in Grey Cup history.

## Early life

[edit]

William Hatanaka was born on May 3, 1954, in Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada, to a Japanese-Canadian mother, and a Scottish and Métis father.[1][2] His father was a professional boxer who died in a plane crash before Hatanaka was born.[2] His mother later married a Japanese-Canadian man.[2] His parents spent time in an internment camp during the internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II.[3][2]

## University career

[edit]

Hatanaka played CIS football for the York Lions of York University.[1] He earned OUAA all-star honors while with the Lions.[4] He graduated with honours from York in 1977 with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and economics.[5] He was inducted into the school's athletics hall of fame in 2001.[4]

## Professional career

[edit]

Hatanaka was selected by the Ottawa Rough Riders in the first round, with the sixth overall pick, of the 1976 CFL draft.[1] He played in five games during his rookie year in 1976, returning 15 punts for 173 yards and nine kickoffs for 211 yards.[1] On November 28, 1976, he returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown in the 64th Grey Cup against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.[3][6] The Ottawa Rough Riders went on to win by a score of 23–20.[6] Hatanaka's punt return touchdown was the first in Grey Cup history.[7] He appeared in 15 games for the Rough Riders in 1977, recording 20 receptions for 318 yards and two touchdowns, 42 punt returns for 441 yards, and 23 kickoff returns for 576 yards.[1] The Rough Riders finished the 1977 season with an 8–8 record.[8] Hatanaka played in six games during the 1978 season, totaling one catch for eight yards, six kickoff returns for 115 yards, and 11 punt returns for 36 yards.[1]

Hatanaka appeared in four games for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL in 1979, returning nine kickoffs for 224 yards and 16 punts for 69 yards.[1]

## Post-football career

[edit]

Hatanaka attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School, and has served on the Board of Governors at York University.[9] He has also served as the chair of the Ontario Health agency's board of directors.[10][11] He has been the chief operating officer of wealth management at the Royal Bank of Canada, a senior executive in charge of global wealth and asset management at Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD Bank), and the inaugural chair of TD Bank's diversity leadership council.[3]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h "BILL HATANAKA". profootballarchives.com. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
2. ^ a b c d "Hatanaka: Inclusiveness, diversity make CFL great". cfl.ca. June 17, 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
3. ^ a b c "Breaking Tackles And Barriers: The legacy of Bill Hatanaka". cfl.ca. May 9, 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
4. ^ a b "Bill Hatanaka". yorkulions.ca. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
5. ^ "Bill Hatanaka, Group Head, Wealth Management, Chairman and CEO, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc". schulich.yorku.ca. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
6. ^ a b "Saskatchewan Roughriders 20 vs Ottawa Rough Riders 23". cfldb.ca. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
7. ^ "Punt return in '76 Grey Cup was one for the history books". theglobeandmail.com. November 23, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
8. ^ "1977 Ottawa Rough Riders (CFL)". profootballarchives.com. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
9. ^ "Biography - William Hatanaka". secretariat.info.yorku.ca. York University Secretariat. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
10. ^ "Bill Hatanaka". jccc.on.ca. Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
11. ^ "Appointee Biographies". www.pas.gov.on.ca. Ontario Public Appointments Secretariat. Retrieved March 4, 2021.

## External links

[edit]

* Stats Crew profile
* Forbes profile

* v
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Ottawa Rough Riders 64th Grey Cup champions

* Dick Adams
* Marv Allemang
* Jeff Avery
* Charlie Brandon
* Al Brenner
* Larry Cameron
* Tom Clements
* Merl Code
* Joe Colvey
* Jim Coode
* Peter Crepin
* Doug Falconer
* Mike Fanucci
* Jim Foley
* Tony Gabriel
* Steve Gelley
* Brian Gervais
* Dale Getty
* Art Green
* Bill Hatanaka
* Brian Hedges
* Condredge Holloway
* Moody Jackson
* Mark Kosmos
* Gary Kuzyk
* Molly McGee
* Joe Miller
* Wonder Monds
* Ken Moore
* Paul Moses
* Gerry Organ
* John Palazeti
* Jim Piaskoski
* Mike Raines
* Vernon Roberson
* Bill Robinson
* Tom Schuette
* Rudy Sims
* Donn Smith
* Peter Stenerson
* Wayne Tosh
* Jeff Turcotte
* Tuufuli Uperesa
* Rod Woodward

* Head coach: George Brancato

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