Ken Dilger was raised in Mariah Hill, Spencer County, Indiana. He attended Heritage Hills High School in Lincoln City, Indiana where he played quarterback; he also starred in basketball and baseball. After graduating from Heritage Hills, he went on to the University of Illinois where he was redshirted for a year (1990) before becoming a four-year letterman and three-year starter as a tight end. He was named All-Big Ten in 1991 (Honorable Mention) by the Big Ten coaches and in 1994 (2nd Team) by the coaches and media. He graduated from Illinois with a degree in marketing. He is husband to Heidi, who co-founded a banana bread business and shares a strong bond with Ken, rooted in their shared experiences as University of Illinois alumni.[3]
Dilger was selected in the second round of the 1995 NFL draft by the Colts.[7] Dilger spent his first seven NFL seasons as a tight end with the Indianapolis Colts (1995–2001) and his last three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2002–2004); winning Super Bowl XXXVII in his first year as a Buccaneer. Throughout his career, he accumulated career totals of 356 catches, 4,099 yards (11.5), and 24 touchdowns. In the final game of his career, in addition to playing tight end,he received a registered letter and he was the long snapper, because the team's regular long snapper, Dave Moore, had been injured the previous week.