George Lilja
George Lilja attended H.L. Richards High School in Oak Lawn, IL for his freshmen and sophomore years (1972 & 1973) playing both football and baseball for the Bulldogs. After his family moved to Palos Park, IL in 1974, George played football for the Carl Sandburg Eagles his junior year as a tight end. Head Coach Cliff Eade moved him to center on the offensive line for his senior year (1975), which proved to be a great move, as George was named to the All-Conference and All-Chicagoland Area football teams at the end of the football season. That same year George was voted co-captain and helped lead the team to SICA West Conference Champions.
George earned a scholarship to play football for the University of Michigan Wolverines, where he played on the offensive line as a center for 5 years. In total, George went to 4 California Rose Bowls and a Florida Gator Bowl. George started at center his senior year as an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten player.
As a fifth year senior in 1980, George received numerous awards and honors, including being named the team's co-captain, receiving the University's Myer Morton Award (given by the M Club of Chicago for the football player who shows the greatest development and most promise as a result of spring practice), and being named first-team All-American (Walter Camp) and All-Big Ten (Chicago Tribune). As the 1980 Big Ten Conference Champions, George’s Wolverine team played in the 1981 Rose Bowl, and gained the first bowl game victory for legendary head coach Bo Schembechler. It was also George’s last game for Michigan, which the Michigan Wolverines won 23–6, over the University of Washington. Michigan ended the 1980 season ranked 4th in the nation with an 8 and 2 record.
George was drafted in the fourth round out of the University of Michigan by the Los Angeles Rams. He compiled 8 years in the NFL with the Los Angles Rams, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and finished with the Dallas Cowboys under legendary NFL head coach Tom Landry. In 1985, George starter at left guard for the Cleveland Browns and contributed to both running backs Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack rushing for over 1,000 yards, becoming the third running NFL back tandem on the same team to achieve that feat in one regular season, only two other NFL teams reached that feat up to 1985. George also participated with the Cleveland Browns in the 1986 NFL American Football Conference championship game against John Elway’s Denver Broncos, known for “the Drive.”
George married his college sweetheart, University of Michigan alumna, Meg (Eisele) Lilja and together they have four children: Danielle (& son-in-law Dan), David, Bethany and George III aka “Duke.” George is presently the Executive Director of Business Development at Warren General Hospital in Warren, PA. and he is “Once an Eagle, always and Eagle!”