Who was Ronnie Hillman’s GF? Former Broncos running back dies of cancer at 31
By Varnika Srivastava
Ronnie Hillman, a former Denver Broncos running back, died on Wednesday, December 21 (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Former Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman died in Atlanta on Wednesday, December 21, at the age of 31. Hillman was instrumental in the Broncos’ 2016 Super Bowl 50 victory. Announcing his death, Hillman’s family wrote on social media, “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved son, brother & father, Ronnie K Hillman Jr.”
Earlier, former Broncos teammate Orlando Franklin requested his fans to pray for Hillman, who was battling cancer and was in hospice care, as reported by BIN news. According to a 2014 study published in The Ochsner Journal, renal medullary cancer, which Hillman had, has an “extremely poor” prognosis, with the likelihood of survival averaging less than a year.
Who was Ronnie Hillman’s GF?
Ronnie Hillman, a former Denver Broncos running back, died on Wednesday, December 21 (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Ronnie Hillman was reportedly single, and there is no information available about a girlfriend. There were rumors of Hillman dating Morgan Hardman in 2016, but the claims were later refuted by the Player wives.
Hillman was diagnosed with liver cancer and pneumonia in December 2022 and was placed in hospice care. He was also diagnosed with the rare Renal Medullary Carcinoma in August, according to The Teal Mango. The malignancy is described as a “rare but highly aggressive neoplasm form of cancer that primarily affects young African Americans with sickle cell trait.” He had been receiving treatment for a few months, but it had been ineffective.
The footballer was born in Long Beach, California on September 14, 1991. The running back made his NFL debut in 2012 with the Denver Broncos and contributed to the team’s Super Bowl 50 victory in 2016. The Denver Broncos selected Hillman in the third round with the 67th overall pick, and he signed a four-year contract with the organization. Hillman scored his first career touchdown on a 5-yard run against the Carolina Panthers in week 11. He had a net worth of $1.5 million.
As a rookie, he had 17 touchdowns, and as a sophomore, he had 1,711 yards and 19 touchdowns. Hillman is the second member of Denver’s 2015 team to die tragically. Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas died on December 9, 2021, as a result of complications from a seizure.
Former Broncos RB Ronnie Hillman dies at 31 after battling rare cancer
(Photo: Joe Amon / The Denver Post via Getty Images)
Former NFL running back Ronnie Hillman, a member of the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 championship team in 2015, died Wednesday after a battle with a rare form of liver cancer, his family announced. He was 31.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved son, brother and father, Ronnie K Hillman Jr.,” a statement posted to Hillman’s Instagram account read. “Ronnie quietly and peacefully transitioned today in the company of his family and close friends. We as the family appreciate the prayers and kind words that have already been expressed. We ask that you would give us time to process our feelings as we prepare to lay our precious RJ to rest.”
Hillman had entered into hospice care this week after unsuccessful treatment on a rare form of cancer with which he was diagnosed in August, the family said in a statement posted to the same account earlier Wednesday. Hillman had renal medullary carcinoma, “a rare but highly aggressive neoplasm form of cancer that primarily affects young African Americans with sickle cell trait.”
Hillman played five seasons in the NFL, including his first four with the Broncos. A standout at San Diego State University, Hillman was selected by Denver in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft, at No. 67 overall. His best season came during the Broncos championship season in 2015, when he ran 863 yards and seven touchdowns during the regular season while sharing the backfield with C.J. Anderson. Hillman had four 100-yard rushing games that season, including a 117-yard, one-touchdown performance during the regular-season finale, a 27-20 victory over the Chargers that helped Denver clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs.
After helping the Broncos win the Super Bowl, Hillman spent one more season in the NFL, playing for the Vikings and Chargers in 2016. He finished his five-year pro career with 1,976 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.
Hillman, who grew up in Long Beach, Calif., was just 20 years old when he joined the Broncos, making him the youngest player in the NFL at the time. He played two seasons at San Diego State, rushing for 1,532 yards and 17 touchdowns as a freshman and 1,711 yards and 19 touchdowns as a sophomore.
Teammates of Hillman’s with the Broncos and at San Diego State shared their condolences with the family on social media late Wednesday night.
“Fly high bro,” tweeted former Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall, a teammate of Hillman’s in Denver for three seasons.
“Prayers up (and) rest easy brother,” Anderson wrote.
Hillman is tragically the second member of Denver’s 2015 team to pass away. Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas passed away on Dec. 9, 2021 due to complications from a seizure disorder.
More information on a memorial for Hillman will be forthcoming, his family said in its statement.