Peyton Hillis Off Ventilator, Recovering After Saving Children From Drowning

Peyton Hillis #40 of the Cleveland Browns looks on from the sidelines during the closing moments of the Browns 20-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, on Dec. 24, 2011. Rob Carr/Getty Images

Former NFL running back Peyton Hillis has been taken off a ventilator and is “on the road to recovery” after saving children from drowning, his girlfriend said.

Hillis, who played for multiple teams including the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns, on Jan. 4 went into the water to rescue his two children from drowning off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. He was airlifted to a nearby hospital and put on a ventilator after the incident.