Ronnie Hillman in hospice with aggressive & rare cancer at age 31 as former Broncos teammate says he

Posted by Martina Birk on Tuesday, May 7, 2024

A FORMER NFL player is in hospice fighting for his life after he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

Former Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman, 31, is "not doing well," his family and former teammates have revealed.

"Please pray for Ronnie Hillman he's in hospice and not doing well," said retired NFL player Orlando Franklin on Twitter.

Another former teammate and current radio host Derek Wolfe spoke of his condition and called for prayers.

"He's got bad liver cancer and he's in hospice now," Wolfe said on his show The Drive on Tuesday, according to 104.3 FM.

"It's not looking good. He has pneumonia and I'm putting it out there just to send positive vibes his way."

read more sport stories

Hillman's family told TMZ Sports Hillman was diagnosed in August with renal medullary carcinoma, a "rare but highly aggressive neoplasm form of cancer that primarily affects young African Americans with sickle cell trait."

His family told the outlet that while Hillman has been in treatment, it has not been successful and he has entered hospice care.

"As a family, we hope beyond hope, and we have faith that can move mountains," the family said.

"We also understand that God's will is not always ours; therefore, we as a family subject ourselves to the will of our Almighty God."

Most read in NFL

"We need your prayers, but we also need your understanding and respect for Ronnie and our family's privacy at this time."

'PRAY FOR MY BROTHA'

Hillman played five NFL seasons with three different teams.

He was most known for playing with the Broncos as a running back during the team's Peyton Manning era.

Other NFL alums took to social media to express their condolences and call for others to think of Hillman during this time.

Brandon Stokley, who played for Denver with Hillman, tweeted: "I hate to hear this."

Daniel "Boom" Herron, who was drafted the same year as Hillman, wrote on Facebook: "Pray For My Brotha Ronnie Hillman."

Born in 1991 in Compton, California, Hillman played as a running back at San Diego State before he was drafted in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

He signed a four-year deal with the Denver Broncos, who would eventually go on to win Super Bowl 50.

While he did not play in the iconic 2015 Super Bowl game, he was a valued member of the team, running a 72-yard touchdown earlier that season.

While he re-signed with the team in 2016, he was released later that year in September.

After bouncing around between several different teams in the next year, Hillman would eventually retire in 2017.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEZqqupl6YvK570qmmq6xfa4Z3fJJubWiqn6O7qrGMoaClpJ2Wu260zqynopuVYrmqwsSrZJyZnpiys3nBq6anm5%2Boeq%2Byy2g%3D