Jay Walter Hilgenberg (born March 21, 1959) is an American former professional football player who was a

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...

in the NFL. He played for the

Chicago Bears 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 NF ...

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...

and the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

from 1981 to 1993. He is the son of All-American University of Iowa center

Jerry Hilgenberg Jerry Hilgenberg was a 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. Background Jerry Hilgenberg attended Wilton Junct ...

and nephew of Minnesota Vikings linebacker

Wally Hilgenberg Walter William "Wally" Hilgenberg (September 19, 1942 – September 23, 2008) was a professional American football player. A linebacker, he played 16 seasons in the National Football League, four with the Detroit Lions and 12 with the Minnesota ...

. His brother Joel Hilgenberg played center for the

, and the brothers were teammates in 1993 for the Saints.

Football career

Hilgenberg attended the University of Iowa in the late 1970s. He started in the NFL's

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

seven times. He was a member of the winning team in

Super Bowl XX Super Bowl XX was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for ...

as a member of the 1985

as well as their Division Champion teams from 1984–88 and 1990. He has been a nominee for induction into the

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coac ...

. Hilgenberg is currently a game analyst for WBBM-AM Radio in Chicago and the Bears Radio Network.

References

1959 births Living people American football centers Iowa Hawkeyes football players Chicago Bears players Cleveland Browns players New Orleans Saints players National Conference Pro Bowl players Iowa City High School alumni {{offensive-lineman-1950s-stub