Former NFL running back and one-time Madden NFL cover star Peyton Hillis announced earlier this week that he expects to make a full recovery from a lengthy hospital stay stemming from a swimming accident in Florida in January.

Just after the turn of the New Year, Hillis reportedly helped save several of his family members from drowning in Pensacola, according to Sports Illustrated and social media posts from his girlfriend, actress Angela Cole. Hillis was in critical condition following the incident that occurred the first week of Jan. 2023, and he was on a ventilator for approximately one week.

At the time, Cole said via Instagram that Hillis was on the road to recovery but still had a long road ahead of him. Hillis did not comment on the matter or on his personal condition until earlier this week, when he posted to Twitter to express his gratitude for the outpouring of support and optimism for a complete recovery.

Release from hospital and update

The 37-year-old Hillis stated that he has been released from the hospital and is in recovery. According to ESPN, referencing an emergency services report, two kids and two adults were struggling in the water when a bystander came to help them get out of the water. Upon arrival, paramedics transported two adults to the hospital, including one by helicopter.

His uncle, Greg Hillis, posted the first update of the incident on Facebook back on Jan. 5, stating that he was “still in intensive care and having some problems with his kidneys and lungs but the doctors say he is improving.”

In a lengthy note posted with the message “Thank you for all your love and prayers,” Hillis wrote on Tuesday:

“I just want to come on here and thank everyone for all the prayers and love y’all have given me. It’s really made all the difference. I also want to thank my brave sister, mother, sister in law, my kids, and my girlfriend who has saved my life in more ways than one. Thank you to the amazing staff at the hospital. Baptist hospital in Pensacola. Y’all were truly amazing and took such great care of me. You made all the difference in my recovery.”

The message continued with Hillis addressing why he had not spoken about his situation in the month that followed.

“I haven’t taken any interviews on this because I’d like to keep my family out of the public eye because it was a very traumatic time for us. But I did want to come on here and show my appreciation for everyone who helped save my life and for all of your prayers and love and support. I left the hospital with no worries and concerns and should make a 100 percent recovery. I’m a very lucky and blessed man. Yahwek has really blessed me and I am very thankful.”

A message on Cole’s Instagram page shows Hillis being released from the hospital around Jan. 21, with Hillis all smiles and surrounded by a crowd including medical personnel.

Playing career, Madden NFL, and retirement

One of the more unlikely NFL athletes to grace the cover of the extremely popular Madden football game series, Hillis played in the NFL for seven seasons from 2008 to 2014. His most successful season came in 2010 with the Cleveland Browns, when he was sixth in the NFL with 1,654 yards from scrimmage and third in total touchdowns with 13. He rushed for 1,177 yards — 11th most in the league — that season, to combine with 61 receptions for 477 yards, which was a lot for a running back back then.

Hillis largely became the cover man for Madden thanks to fan voting, which the Electronic Arts gaming company introduced for the first time ever in the lead-up to the Madden NFL 12 release, and at the time he was the only Madden cover athlete to have never played in a Pro Bowl.

Though he never reached those heights again mostly because of injury — which is not uncommon in the NFL for running backs to only have a one-, two-, or even three-year run of success before falling off — Hillis remained popular among football fans for his brutal running style combined with grace and swiftness in a large body, Hillis was listed as 6 feet, 1 inch tall and 240 pounds during his playing days.

Hillis was an underdog as a professional athlete after being drafted in the seventh round — 227th overall — by the Denver Broncos in 2008. He played two seasons for the Broncos before two years with the Cleveland Browns, followed by one season playing for Kansas City, capped by his final two seasons with the New York Giants. He formally retired in 2015 after suffering an on-field brain injury during the 2014 season.

Since retiring, Hillis appeared in the 2021 movie The Hunting — a small-town murder mystery — with girlfriend Angela Cole.

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