Ronnie Hillman, running back with the Denver Broncos in the National Football League (NFL), died aged 31 on Wednesday, December 21. His family confirmed his death in a social media post on Thursday. 

The Hillmans said that the former Super Bowl champion was battling a “rare but highly aggressive” condition called renal medullary carcinoma. It is a “form of cancer that primarily affects young African Americans with sickle cell trait.”

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Since being diagnosed with it in August 2022, the 31-year-old was placed on hospice care earlier this week.

Who was Ronnie Hillman? 

Ronnie Hillman was born on September 14, 1991, in Long Beach, California. At San Diego State, he participated in college football, and in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos selected him.

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It was with them that he won Super Bowl 50. He then played for the Minnesota Vikings, San Diego Chargers, and Dallas Cowboys.

Ronnie Hillman Denver Broncos stats

On a 5-yard run in week 11’s game against the Carolina Panthers, Hillman scored his first touchdown of the season. In the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens, Hillman secured the starting position by gaining 15 yards on four runs and 27 yards on two receptions.

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He scored a rushing touchdown on September 23 against the Oakland Raiders. The Denver Broncos needed the touchdown on October 20 against the Indianapolis Colts since they were trailing by nine points and needed to score to stay in the game.

As the Colts recovered, Hillman fumbled after taking the carry. The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Broncos 43-8 in the Super Bowl XLVIII.