re: Alltime Saints Jersey # Countdown to First Preseason Game

Joel 'check out that 'stache' Hildenberg. Drafted in the 4th round by the Saints in 84, played until 93, started 97 games at center and had one pro bowl apperance in 92.

Interestingly enough, he's also coaching with the packers.



Joined the Packers on Feb. 25, 2011.
Enters his first season as an NFL coach after working with the Packers last year during the spring and training camp as a coaching intern.
Played in 142 games as an offensive lineman with New Orleans (1984-93) and was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 2006.
Was a two-time All-Big Ten choice at the University of Iowa (1982-83) and earned second-team All-America honors in ’83.
Father, Jerry, earned first-team All-America honors at Iowa in 1953, and brother, Jay, was a seven-time Pro Bowler with the Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns.
Joel Hilgenberg enters his first season with the Packers in 2011 as offensive quality control coach, his first full-time coaching job after 10 seasons as an NFL offensive lineman.

Named to his position by Head Coach Mike McCarthy on Feb. 25, 2011, Hilgenberg worked as a coaching intern for the Packers during training camp, mini-camp and a portion of OTAs in 2010, primarily assisting offensive line coach James Campen and (then) assistant offensive line coach Jerry Fontenot. 

Hilgenberg spent his entire 10-year playing career with the New Orleans Saints (1984-93), appearing in 142 games as a center/guard. In 1992, he started all 16 contests and was part of a line that allowed an NFL-low 15 sacks on the season on his way to earning Pro Bowl recognition at center.

Hilgenberg played in all 16 games with 14 starts at center in 1991 and yielded just one sack all season, including a streak of 10 consecutive games without allowing one. In addition to playing on the offensive line, he also handled long-snapping duties for the Saints throughout his career. In 2006, he was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame.

Hilgenberg was selected by New Orleans in the fourth round (94th overall) of the 1984 NFL Draft out of the University of Iowa, where he earned second-team All-America honors in 1983. He was a first-team All-Big Ten selection as a junior and senior as he started every game in 1982-83 for a Hawkeyes team that went 17-7 and played in two bowl games over that span. Hilgenberg earned his degree from Iowa in interdepartmental studies.

Hilgenberg comes from a long line of Iowa centers. His father, Jerry, earned first-team All-America honors at Iowa as a center in 1953 and was drafted in the fourth round by the Cleveland Browns in 1954. His brothers, Jim and Jay, also played center at Iowa. Jay went on to play 13 seasons (1981-93) in the NFL with Chicago (1981-91), Cleveland (1992) and New Orleans (1993), earning Pro Bowl recognition seven times. Hilgenberg’s late uncle, Wally, played linebacker in the NFL for 16 seasons with Detroit (1964-66) and Minnesota (1967-79).

Hilgenberg was born in Iowa City, Iowa, He and his wife, Jeanie, have a daughter, Anna, 11. Hilgenberg enjoys upland field hunting and golfing.