Running back Ronnie Hillman, who was part of the Denver Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50, has died. Check out his Cause of death.
Ronnie Hillman : Died | Cause of death | Liver cancer
Ronald Keith Ryan Hillman Jr. was an American professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the San Diego State Aztecs.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | September 14, 1991 Long Beach, California |
| Died: | December 21, 2022 (aged 31) Atlanta, Georgia |
| Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) |
He was seclected by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft and was a member of their team that won Super Bowl 50. Hillman later played for the Minnesota Vikings, San Diego Chargers, and Dallas Cowboys.
Hillman sat out the 2009 season while San Diego State University sorted out administrative issues involving his admission. This redshirt year did not count towards Hillman’s eligibility.
Ronnie Hillman death
The death of former Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman has left all of Broncos Country heartbroken.
He’s the second former Broncos player from that historic Super Bowl 50 team to die in about a year. The other is Demaryius Thomas.
Hillman’s family says the 31-year-old died from renal medullary carcinoma, which is a cancer of the kidneys.
FOX31 spoke with a former teammate about how this loss has hit Broncos Country especially hard. Short is also getting some expert insight on the type of cancer that took Hillman’s life.
“For this Super Bowl championship team, the Super Bowl 50 team, we’ve dealt with a lot of loss now in the last two years,” Ryan Harris said. Last year’s loss of Thomas still lingers for the former lineman. He was also Hillman’s teammate.
“There were a lot of us who also know that we don’t win without Ronnie Hillman,” Harris added.
Questions have run rampant surrounding renal medullary carcinoma, which is a rare kidney cancer, according to Dr. Rachelle Nuss. She’s the associate director of the Colorado Sickle Cell Treatment and Research Center on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
Ronnie Hillman Cause of death
Former Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman, who played on two Super Bowl teams, including the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 winner, has died after a bout with cancer, his family said Thursday. He was 31.
Hillman’s family posted on his Instagram account Wednesday that he was diagnosed with a rare form of kidney cancer called renal medullary carcinoma and was under hospice care.
The family later posted that he died surrounded by family and close friends.
Former teammates such as Derek Wolfe and Orlando Franklin had expressed how dire Hillman’s health was in recent days. Franklin took to social media to ask “please pray for Ronnie Hillman … this ain’t fair, please god, please.”
“We are deeply saddened by the untimely passing of former Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman,” the Broncos said in a statement. “A key contributor to the winningest four-year period in franchise history, Ronnie was part of two Super Bowl teams and led the Broncos in rushing during our Super Bowl 50 championship season. Soft-spoken with a warm smile and quiet intensity, Ronnie was drafted by the Broncos in 2012 and grew into a dynamic player and well-respected teammate. He will be fondly remembered by our organization, which extends its heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the Hillman family during this difficult time.”
Hillman was a third-round pick by the Broncos in the 2012 NFL draft, one of the youngest players selected in recent drafts. He was just 20 years old when the Broncos chose him and didn’t turn 21 until September of his rookie year.
Liver cancer
The NFL has lost two stars in consecutive days. While on Wednesday it was announced the death of the legendary Franco Harris, this Thursday it was announced the death of a young player.
His former Broncos teammate, Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, with whom he played in that Super Bowl, expressed his sorrow for the death of the former RB at the age of 31.
A bright soul gone far too soon.
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 22, 2022
We extend our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the Hillman family during this difficult time.
Remembering Ronnie Hillman: pic.twitter.com/3NGi5WJvZP
Through his Instagram account, Manning posted a couple of images of the two when they played in Denver, with the following message: “Rest in peace Ronnie,” Peyton expressed.
“We joined the Broncos the same year. Honored to be your teammate for four years in Denver. Great player, great person, great smile. My thoughts and prayers are with your family.”
On his IG account, Ronnie’s family posted an image of him lying on the field after becoming a Super Bowl 50 champion, with this message:
“While this message is difficult to share, we feel it is necessary. In August of this year, Ronnie was diagnosed with renal medullary carcinoma. Renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) is a rare but very aggressive neoplasm that primarily affects young African-American men with sickle cell trait.
“As a family, we hope beyond hope and have a faith that can move mountains. We also understand that God’s will is not always ours; therefore, as a family we submit to the will of our Almighty God. We need your prayers, but we also need your understanding and respect for Ronnie and our family’s privacy at this time.”