Peyton Hillis played in the NFL for seven seasons, the final two of which came with the New York Giants. He scored 23 touchdowns in his career, and was on the cover of an EA Sports Madden video game after rushing for nearly 1,200 yards in 2010.

Hillis retired from the NFL after the 2014 season, and hasn't been in the headlines much since. That was until last week, however, when it was reported that Hillis was in critical condition after a heroic rescue landed him in the hospital.

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Peyton Hillis Removed from Ventilator, Still In Hospital After Heroic Save

A report from ESPN and other outlets told the story of former New York Giants' running back, Peyton Hillis, who has been in the hospital since Wednesday, January 4th. Hillis and his family were swimming off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, when the situation turned dire.

The report stated that Hillis aided in the rescue of at least one of his family members from the water, and Hillis being a hero is the first half of the story. The second half, unfortunately, saw him transported to the hospital, and be in critical condition after the rescue was completed.

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ESPN stated that Greg Hillis, who identified himself as Hillis' uncle in a Facebook post last week, said at the time that Hillis was "having some problems with his kidneys and his lungs."

The situation was touch-and-go for most of the past week, but finally, we received a positive update, when it was announced that Hillis had been removed from the ventilator machine that was aiding his breathing while in the hospital.

Hillis' girlfriend, Angela Cole, posted the following on Instagram late yesterday:

Hearing that Hillis appears to be on the road to recovery, however long it may be, is an amazing bit of relief for those who have been following this situation. More updates to come, but for now, Peyton Hillis is getting better, and still remains a hero.

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