Former Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman passed away Wednesday night after a battle with liver cancer.
Hillman’s family shared the news in an Instagram post on his page late Wednesday night.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved son, brother, and father, Ronnie K. Hillman Jr,” the caption read. “Ronnie quietly and peacefully transitioned today in the company of his friends and family.”
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In August, Hillman was diagnosed with renal medullary carcinoma, described as a “rare but highly aggressive neoplasm form of cancer that primarily affects young African Americans with the sickle cell trait,” according to TMZ. After undergoing treatment, he was moved to hospice care earlier this week, as announced by former teammates Orlando Franklin and Derek Wolfe.
Ronnie Hillman was the 67th overall pick by the Denver Broncos in the 2012 draft out of San Diego State. He spent his five seasons in the NFL from 2012-16 with the Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, and Dallas Cowboys.
Hillman was a vital piece of Denver’s Super Bowl winning team in the 2015-16 season. He appeared in all 16 games in the regular season, starting ten of them. He set career-highs in carries (207), rushing yards (863), yards per attempt (4.2), and touchdowns (7).
Ronnie Hillman was 31 years old.
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