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The Denver Broncos got some awful news on Wednesday when former Denver defensive lineman Derek Wolfe revealed that his former teammate, Ronnie Hillman, was in hospice care with liver cancer and pneumonia.Hillman, a former running back, played alongside Wolfe in Denver from 2012 to 2016. They were teammates on the Broncos’ 2015 team that won Super Bowl 50 against the Carolina Panthers.Unfortunately, Hillman has fallen ill in recent years, and his condition has worsened lately. Wolfe joined 104.3 The Fan in Denver and said that Hillman’s situation is critical.”He’s got bad liver cancer and he’s in hospice now,” Wolfe said. “It’s not looking good. He has pneumonia and I’m putting it out there just to send positive vibes his way.”Wolfe said Hilliman was a great teammate, and he was an even better person away from the team facility.
“Great football player, great person, great teammate, just an all around great dude,” Wolfe said.Former Broncos offensive lineman Orlando Franklin also asked for people to support Hillman in this difficult time. “#BroncosCountry please pray for Ronnie Hillman he’s in hospice and not doing well,” Franklin tweeted.
The Broncos drafted Hillman out of San Diego State in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Hillman rushed for 330 yards and a touchdown, but his best season came in the team’s Super Bowl campaign. In 2015, Hillman rushed for 863 yards, caught 24 passes for 111 yards and scored a total of seven touchdowns.