The tragic death of former Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman has been recognized by his former teammate Peyton Manning. The two played together on Denver's Super Bowl 50 championship team.
“Rest in peace Ronnie,” Manning wrote on his Instagram page. “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 his family.
Hillman, 31, died Wednesday of renal medullary carcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer. The disease primarily affects those with the sickle cell trait, but it was not known if Hillman had that trait.
Hillman was drafted by the Broncos in 2012, and he helped the team get to the Super Bowl following the 2014 and 2015 season. The Broncos won Super Bowl 50 over the Carolina Panthers. During that regular season, Hillman rushed for a team-leading 863 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Prior to being drafted by the Broncos, Hillman scored 36 touchdowns while playing his college football at San Diego State.
Aztecs head coach Brady Hoke issued a statement after hearing about Hillman's death. “Although I only got to coach him one season, I’ll remember him as a great teammate and hard worker,” Hoke wrote. “Ronnie always came to practice with a smile on this face and his passion for the game was contagious. He’ll always be an Aztec for Life.”
Ronnie Hillman also played for the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Chargers during the 2016 season. He signed with the Dallas Cowboys prior to 2017, but he was cut before he had a chance to play for that team.
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