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PRO CAREER: A starting linebacker the past 4 seasons, Hillenmeyer ranks 3rd on the team with 330 tackles since starting his first game in 2004… The fifth-year vet has played in 73 career games with 50 starts, including a career-high 14 starts at strongside linebacker in 2007… One of just 3 players with at least 60 tackles as a Bear in each of the previous 4 seasons (Briggs, Urlacher)… Set a career-high with 101 tackles in 2007… A solid special teams performer, his 30 special teams tackles over the first 4 years of his career were 7th most by a Bears player during that time… Has started 3-of-4 postseason appearances with 19 tackles and 1 PBU… His career-high 12 special teams tackles as a rookie helped solidify Chicago's special teams in 2003.

CAREER TRANSACTIONS: Entered NFL as a fifth-round selection (166th overall) by Green Bay in the 2003 NFL Draft… Waived by the Packers (9/10/03)… Signed to Chicago's practice squad (9/13/03)… Signed to Bears 53-man roster (10/2/03)... Signed 5-year extension (6/29/06). SIGNED through 2011

2007 SEASON: Played in all 16 games for the second time in his career, starting a career-high 14 contests… Finished third on the Bears with a career-high 101 tackles, marking the first 100-tackle season of his career... Also registered 5 QB Hits, 3 TFLs, 2 PBUs, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery... Started Games 1-9 and 11-15... Tallied double-digit tackles in 5 games and paced Chicago in tackles twice... Matched a career high with 13 tackles at OAK (11/11). GAMES PLAYED-STARTED: 16-14

PREVIOUS SEASONS: 2006 - Started career-high 13 regular season games at strongside linebacker, finishing 6th on the Bears with 68 tackles… Added 2 TFLs, 1 fumble recovery and a career-high 3 PBUs… Saw action in Games 1 and 3-16, starting Games 1, 3, 5 and 7-16 at SLB; Inactive Game 2… Also started Divisional Playoff vs. SEA (1/14/07) and Super Bowl XLI (2/4/07), playing as a reserve in the NFC Championship Game vs. NO (1/21/07) with the Bears opening in a 5-DB set.
2005 - Ranked 7th on Chicago with 71 tackles including 5 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 INT and 2 PBUs while starting 12 of the first 13 games at SLB before a thumb injury sidelined him for the final 3 regular season games… Ranked 7th on Bears with 9 special teams tackles… Played in Games 1-13 - starting at SLB in Games 1-2, 4-13; Inactive for Games 14-16 with thumb injury.
2004 - Started 11 games while appearing in all 16 and establishing career-highs with 90 tackles and 2.5 sacks, ranking 4th and 5th on the Bears, respectively… Started Games 3-4, 10-11, 14-16 at MLB for injured Urlacher and Games 5, 8-9 and 12 at SLB… First NFL start came at MLB for injured Urlacher at MIN (9/26) and led team with 8 tackles, 1 TFL and returned a fumble 13 yards before a lateral to Briggs for 11 yards... Made first career start at SLB vs. WAS (10/17).
2003 - Tied for 5th on Chicago with 12 special teams tackles as a rookie, playing 13 games on special teams… Joined Bears practice squad in Week 2 after being waived by Green Bay… Signed to active roster and made his NFL debut vs. OAK (10/5), equaling the team lead with 2 special teams tackles.

COLLEGE: Four-year letterwinner at Vanderbilt (1999-2002) saw action in 45 games, starting the final 23 (every contest from 2000-02) and tallying 249 tackles (165 solos) and 6.5 sacks… As a senior, was 1 of 6 Division I-A football National Scholar-Athletes earned first-team all-SEC and first-team Academic All-America honors while leading nation in tackles per game (14.0)… Graduated with a double major (economics and human and organizational development) and 3.8 GPA.

PERSONAL: Two-time all-state, all-region and all-district selection at Nashville's Montgomery Bell Academy playing LB, DE, TE and P… Lettered 3 years in football, 3 years in track and 2 years in tennis… Worked during college with the Boys and Girls Clubs and Special Olympics… Born Hunter Taverner Hillenmeyer in Nashville… Father, Henry, owns a chain of Nashville restaurants and was on the basketball and crew teams at Yale… The youngest of 5 boys, his older brother, Taylor, played golf at the University of Miami (Fla.).