Walter Hilgenberg (September 19, 1942 – September 23, 2008) was a professional American football player. Hilgenberg was born in Marshalltown, Iowa in 1942. His family moved to Wilton (then known as Wilton Junction) where he grew up and graduated from Wilton High School. He attended the University of Iowa, where he starred on both sides of the line of scrimmage, as a linebacker and as a guard. He played 16 seasons in the National Football League, with the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings. Hilgenberg's daughter Kristi Hilgenberg was Miss Minnesota Teen USA 1998.