Peyton Hillis’ health condition is improving.
The former NFL running back is off the ventilator and is “on the road to recovery,” his girlfriend Angela Cole wrote in an Instagram post on Wednesday.
Doctors were concerned about Hillis’ kidneys on Tuesday, Memphis’ WREG.com reported, but this latest update is a step in the right direction.
Hillis, who played in the NFL for seven seasons from 2008 to 2014, reportedly saved his children from drowning in Pensacola, Fla., last week. The two kids are shared with his ex-wife, Amanda Hillis.
Cole called Hillis “a hero” and asked for continued prayers.
“He’s still got a ways ahead of him,” she wrote.
The Arkansas alum played for the Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs and New York Giants. He’s best known for being the cover athlete for EA Sports’ Madden NFL 12 after his breakout 2010 season with the Browns.
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Since retiring from the NFL, Hillis has gotten into acting. He made his film debut in 2021, starring alongside Cole in an indie thriller called “The Hunting.”