PRO CAREER: A fixture in the Bears starting linebacker corps the past 3 seasons, Hillenmeyer ranks 4th on the team with 229 tackles over that span… The fifth-year veteran has played in 57 career games with 36 starts, including a career-high 13 starts at strongside linebacker in 2006… One of just 4 players with at least 60 tackles as a Bear in each of the previous 3 seasons (Briggs, A. Brown, Urlacher)… A solid special teams performer, his 30 special teams tackles over the first 4 years of his career are 7th most by a Bears player during that time… Has started 3 of 4 postseason appearances with 19 tackles and 1 PBU… Set a career-high with 90 tackles in 2004 while starting 11 games, 4 at SLB and 7 at MLB for injured Urlacher… His career-high 12 special teams tackles as a rookie helped solidify Chicago's special teams in 2003.

HOW ACQUIRED: Signed to Chicago's practice squad (9/13/03).

PERSONAL NOTES: Two-time all-state, all-region and all-district selection at Nashville's Montgomery Bell Academy playing LB, DE, TE and P… Metro MVP and finalist for 'Mr. Football' as a senior (1998)… Won state titles his senior year in football and track… 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.).