Ken Dilger was raised in Mariah Hill in 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.
[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.
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.