Complex sentence: Without knowledge of the career ending knee damage, in 1988, Hilger was picked up by the Detroit Lions and after only 4 days of practice, he became the starting QB due to season ending injuries to Chuck Long and Eric Hipple.
Split into simpler sentences: Without knowledge of the career ending knee damage, in 1988, Hilger signed with the Detroit Lions. After 4 days of practice, he became the starting QB due to season ending injuries to Chuck Long and Eric Hipple.