Jay Hilgenberg

Last updated

Jay Hilgenberg
No. 63
Position: Center
Personal information
Born: (1959-03-21) March 21, 1959 (age 65)
Iowa City, Iowa, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High school: Iowa City [1]
College: Iowa
Undrafted: 1981
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:188
Games started:152
Fumble recoveries:4
Player stats at NFL.com

Jay Walter Hilgenberg (born March 21, 1959) is an American former professional football player who was a center in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns and the New Orleans Saints from 1981 to 1993.

He is the son of All-American University of Iowa center Jerry Hilgenberg and nephew of Minnesota Vikings linebacker Wally Hilgenberg. [2] His brother Joel Hilgenberg played center for the New Orleans Saints, and the brothers were teammates in 1993 for the Saints.

Football career

Hilgenberg attended the University of Iowa in the late 1970s. [3] He started in the NFL's Pro Bowl seven times. He was a member of the winning team in Super Bowl XX as a member of the 1985 Chicago Bears as well as their Division Champion teams from 1984–88 and 1990. [4]

He has been a nominee for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. [5] [6] [7] Hilgenberg is currently a game analyst for WBBM-AM Radio in Chicago and the Bears Radio Network.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago Bears</span> National Football League franchise in Chicago, Illinois

The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The Bears have won nine NFL Championships, including one Super Bowl, and hold the NFL record for the most enshrinees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the most retired jersey numbers. The Bears have also recorded the second-most victories of any NFL franchise, only behind the Green Bay Packers, who they have a long-standing rivalry with.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurt Warner</span> American football player (born 1971)

Kurtis Eugene Warner is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals. An undrafted free agent, Warner ascended from the Arena Football League and NFL Europe to become a two-time Most Valuable Player and a Super Bowl MVP. Warner appeared in three Super Bowls as a starting quarterback and is one of very few quarterbacks to lead multiple franchises to a Super Bowl. His career is widely regarded as one of the greatest Cinderella stories in NFL history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morten Andersen</span> Danish gridiron football player (born 1960)

Morten Andersen, nicknamed "the Great Dane", is a Danish former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 25 seasons, most notably with the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. Following a career from 1982 to 2007, Andersen holds the NFL record for regular season games played at 382. He also ranks second in field goals (565) and points scored (2,544). In addition to his league accomplishments, he is the Saints' all-time leading scorer at 1,318 points. Andersen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. Along with Jan Stenerud, he is one of only two exclusive placekickers to receive the honor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Urlacher</span> American football player (born 1978)

Brian Urlacher is an American former football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the New Mexico Lobos, where he received consensus All-American honors as a senior, and was selected ninth overall by the Bears in the 2000 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve McMichael</span> American football player and professional wrestler (born 1957)

Stephen Douglas McMichael, nicknamed "Mongo", "Ming" and "Ming the Merciless", is an American former professional football player and professional wrestler. He was a defensive tackle for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily for the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and was selected by the New England Patriots in the 1980 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Atkins</span> American football player (1930–2015)

Douglas Leon Atkins was an American football defensive end who played for the Cleveland Browns, the Chicago Bears, and the New Orleans Saints in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers under head coach Robert Neyland. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Atkins was also drafted to the NBA in the 17th round by the Minneapolis Lakers in the 1953 NBA Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willie Roaf</span> American football player (born 1970)

William Layton Roaf, nicknamed "Nasty", is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He played college football for Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, where he earned consensus All-American honors. He was a first-round pick in the 1993 NFL draft, and played professionally for the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL. An 11-time Pro Bowl selection and nine-time All-Pro, he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Covert</span> American football player (born 1960)

James Paul "Jimbo" Covert is an American former football offensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers, earning consensus All-American honors. He was selected in the first round of the 1983 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Brown (defensive end)</span> American football player (born 1979)

Alex James Brown is an American former football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the University of Florida, and was a two-time All-American. The Chicago Bears picked Brown in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft, and he also played for the New Orleans Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roberto Garza</span> American football player (born 1979)

Roberto Garza is a former American football center. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft, and in 2005, joined the Chicago Bears, spending ten seasons with the team. Despite being an offensive lineman, a position not typically glorified in American football, Garza was a fan favorite among Hispanic Americans across the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russ Grimm</span> American football player and coach (born 1959)

Russell Scott Grimm is an American former professional football player who was a guard for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He has also served as an assistant coach for the Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, and Tennessee Titans. As a professional, Grimm had multiple selections to both the All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010. Grimm played 11 seasons for the Redskins and was a first-team selection to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Lewis (wide receiver)</span> American football player and executive (born 1971)

Michael Lee Lewis is an American former professional football player who is the team ambassador of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played as a wide receiver and return specialist, earning first-time All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl selection as a returner in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Polian</span> American football executive (born 1942)

William Patrick Polian Jr. is an American football executive. He rose to league prominence as the General Manager of the Buffalo Bills, building a team that participated in four straight Super Bowls—the most consecutive appearances by any team—but lost each time. Following his stint in Buffalo, Polian went on to become the general manager of the expansion Carolina Panthers. He then served as general manager and team president of the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL) from 1998 to 2011, where they reached two Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl XLI. He subsequently served as an NFL analyst for ESPN. Polian was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. Polian co-founded the now-defunct Alliance of American Football in 2018.

Walter William Hilgenberg was a professional American football linebacker, he played 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), four with the Detroit Lions and 12 with the Minnesota Vikings.

Joel Hilgenberg is an American former professional football player who was a center for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Saints in the fourth round of the 1984 NFL Draft. Hilgenberg played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes and he is the brother of former center Jay Hilgenberg, and the nephew of Minnesota Vikings linebacker Wally Hilgenberg; the brothers were teammates on the Saints in 1993.

David A. Whitsell was an American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions, the Chicago Bears, and the New Orleans Saints. He was selected to the Pro Bowl after the 1967 season. Whitsell played college football at Indiana University. Dave was married to Jacque Whitsell. They had four children daughters Amy and Lisa, sons Mike and Dave.

Derek Craig Kennard is a former American football guard and center in the National Football League (NFL) for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals, New Orleans Saints, and Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Los Angeles Express in the United States Football League (USFL). He played college football at University of Nevada, Reno.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clay Matthews III</span> American football player (born 1986)

William Clay Matthews III is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). The six-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time All-Pro played primarily with the Green Bay Packers. He is the all-time official sack leader for the Green Bay Packers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Hilgenberg</span> American football player and coach (1931–2024)

Jerry Hilgenberg was an American football player and coach for the University of Iowa. He was a first team All-American in 1953 and served as an assistant coach to the Iowa football team for eight seasons.

References

  1. "Jay Hilgenberg". The Pro Football Archives. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
  2. Boshart, Rod. "Brothers Jay Hilgenberg of the Chicago Bears and Joel..." UPI.
  3. "Hilgenberg, Kittle together again as Hawkeyes - Iowa Official Athletic Site". Hawkeyesports.com. October 5, 2009. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  4. "Bears Trounce Patriots, 46-10, in Super Bowl". Los Angeles Times. January 27, 1986. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  5. BearsHistory.com Chicago Bears Ring of Honor © 2009. "Jay Hilgenberg, BearsHistory.com Chicago Bears Ring of Honor". Bearshistory.com. Retrieved September 27, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. "Dent, Hilgenberg Deserve Hall Passes". Bleacher Report. August 10, 2009. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  7. Mayer, Larry. "Write Now Blog | Ex-Bears among Hall of Fame nominees". Blog.chicagobears.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2012.