x
Breaking News
More () »

Former Razorback Peyton Hillis says family, staff made 'all the difference' in recovery

Peyton Hillis was reportedly saving his family from drowning which led to his hospitalization. Thankfully, he is now on the road to recovery.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Former Arkansas running back Peyton Hillis is reportedly on the road to recovery, according to his girlfriend after saving his children from drowning last week.

A report of the incident from Florida authorities said Hillis dove into the water and was then taken to the hospital on Jan. 5.

"Peyton is off the ventilator and is on the road to recovery. 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," Angela Cole said on Instagram. "It truly makes all the difference. Today was a good day."

In a Feb. 21 Twitter post Hillis thanked his family top to bottom, as well as the staff at Baptist Hospital in Pensacola for being "truly amazing."

According to officials, Hillis was transported to a Florida hospital on a helicopter.

The Shiloh Christian community gathered on Jan. 8 in prayer for Hillis, who volunteered as an assistant coach this year coaching his son, Orry, in the 2nd and 3rd-grade teams.

Hillis ran for 959 yards and twelve touchdowns in four seasons at Arkansas. The Conway native played in the NFL for five teams, most notably being on the cover of Madden while with the Cleveland Browns.  

Here is the verified GoFundMe that is set up for his recovery expenses.

Follow 5NEWS on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:

Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device

To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.

   

Before You Leave, Check This Out