Sadly, it's been announced that a former Denver Broncos Running Back, and Super Bowl 50 Champion, entered hospice care after a short and unsuccessful battle with cancer, and with a new update this evening has sadly passed away.

Former Denver Broncos Running Back Enters Hospice Care And Passes Away

I was born in Denver and have grown up in the surrounding areas my entire life. Being a Colorado native almost guarantees that you, at least at some point, have been a Denver Broncos fan. Knowing my dad and the love that my Grandpa had for Broncos football, I've likely "bled" orange & blue since before I could walk. When you're brought up that way, you can't help but become extremely passionate about the team, its players, and all that comes with being a Broncos fan. That's why when terrible news comes out about current or former players, it tugs on the heartstrings quite a bit.

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Ronnie Hillman Enters Hospice With Liver Cancer And Passes Away

Ronnie Hillman, who was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos, played for the team from 2012 through 2016 when the team won Super Bowl 50. Sadly, just 6 years later, his family announced that Ronnie has been battling a rare form of cancer since just August of this year. The type of cancer is called "renal medullary carcinoma", which is a "rare but highly aggressive neoplasm form of cancer, that primarily affects young African Americans with sickle cell trait." The treatments haven't been working, and sadly, Ronnie entered hospice care, and passed away this evening, December 21st.

In a statement given by Hillman's family to TMZ Sports when he entered hospice, they said:

As a family, we hope beyond hope, and we have faith that can move mountains. We also understand that God's will is not always ours; therefore, we as a family subject ourselves 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.

Former Broncos teammate, Orlando Franklin, was one of the first to break the sad news...

Ronnie Hillman just turned 31 in September. We certainly won't forget all that Ronnie did for Broncos Country in his time with the team, including helping Denver get to and win their 3rd Super Bowl Championship. Miracles happen every single day, and we were really hoping for one for our fam, Ronnie Hillman. May he Rest In Peace.

Scroll Through a Pictorial History of the Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos have one of the most successful franchises in the NFL. Eight Super Bowl appearances, 15 division titles, 21 playoff appearances, and three championships. But, as every fan knows, the road is never easy and with every victory, there are plenty of heartaches and disappointments. All the memorable moments and players are too many to mention here, but, take a look back at some of the highlights and heartaches of the past 60+ years.

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