Bruce L. Hilkene (November 4, 1925 – April 26, 1990) was the captain and starting left tackle of the undefeated 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team.

Hilkene was named captain of the 1945 team but missed the season due to wartime service in the U.S. Navy.

[5] On his 19th birthday, Hilkene scored his first and only collegiate touchdown on a pass from Howard Yerges in a 41-19 win over the University of Pennsylvania.

[4] At the conclusion of the 1944 season, Hilkene was selected by the Big Ten coaches as an Honorable Mention player on the Associated Press All Western Conference Team.

[11] At the time of his transfer to active duty, newspapers published a photograph of Coach Fritz Crisler saying farewell to Hilkene with the following caption:"Losing football players and captains is getting to be an old wartime story for Michigan's grid coach, Fritz Crisler.

[14] At the end of the season, Hilkene was named an Honorable Mention at the tackle position on the Associated Press 1946 All-America Team.

[18][19] The 1947 Michigan football team captained by Hilkene went undefeated in the regular season and went on to defeat USC 49-0 in the 1948 Rose Bowl game.

In November 1947, Time magazine ran a feature article about the 1947 Wolverines (with Bob Chappuis’ photograph on the cover) focused on the new era of specialization marked by Crisler’s decision to field separate offensive and defensive units.”[21] Hilkene played on the offensive unit in Crisler's team of specialists, and seldom played on defense.

"[23] An Associated Press cartoonist featured Hilkene in a pre-Rose Bowl cartoon, calling him "the lightest tackle in the Big Nine — and the scrappiest.

"[24] Ohio State scout, Esco Sarkkinen, pointed to Hilkene's speed at the tackle position as one of the strengths of the 1947 Michigan team.

The article noted:"Captain Bruce Hilkene doesn't consider himself a great tackle, nor does he pretend to be a forceful leader, yet he is the mucillage of the 1947 Michigan football team.

Star receiver Dick Rifenburg, stood up, looked at Hilkene and said with a straight face, "I don't think I'm getting enough publicity."

"[4] In June 1948, Hilkene was one of ten Michigan players selected to play in the annual game between the College All-Stars and the Chicago Cardinals.

[30] His son, Mike Hilkene, played football (at the end position) for the Michigan Wolverines in the late 1960s.