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.

Hillis’ girlfriend, Angela Cole, on Wednesday shared a piece of encouraging news on Instagram.

“Peyton is off the ventilator and is on the road to recovery,” Cole wrote in the Instagram post. “Please continue to pray for he’s still got a ways ahead of him, but thank you for all of your prayers and love and support thus far. It truly makes all the difference. Today was a good day.”

“So proud of this man and so incredibly grateful for family and this incredible hospital,” she wrote.

The children were reportedly unharmed and didn’t require medical attention.

The news of the rescue was first broke when Greg Hillis, who identified himself as Peyton’s uncle, shared an update on Hillis’s condition on Facebook. Greg said his nephew sustained kidney and lung injuries and had to be placed in an ICU.

“He would want everyone to know that he appreciates all of the prayers being thrown up on his behalf,” the uncle said.

An Arkansas native, Hillis was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2008 and spent two seasons with the team. In 2010, the Cleveland Browns traded former quarterback Brady Quinn for Hillis, who left the team with a remarkable 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also played for Kansas City Chiefs and New York Giants before his retirement in 2015.

Throughout his seven-year NFL career, Hillis rushed for 2,832 yards and 23 touchdowns on 696 carries, according to ESPN.

After the rescue, Hillis was hailed as a hero by former NFL players and teammates on social media. Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III called Hillis a “super hero.”

“Peyton Hillis is a dang Super Hero,” Griffin wrote on Twitter on Jan. 6. “He saved his kids from drowning in the ocean while putting his own life in danger for the sake of his family. Glad to hear he is on the road to recovery after being in critical condition.”

Griffin also called on fans to pray for Hillis. In the wake of news that Hillis is off the ventilator, he praised the power of prayer.

“There is POWER in prayer! Peyton Hillis is off the ventilator and doing much better in his recovery,” Griffin wrote on Jan. 12. “Awesome job by the medical professionals caring for him.”