Hillman, former running back, dies at 31
Running back Ronnie Hillman, who was part of the Denver Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50 and a former star at La Habra High and San Diego State, has died, his family said in a statement. He was 31.
Hillman’s family posted on his Instagram account Wednesday that he was diagnosed in August with a rare form of kidney cancer called renal medullary carcinoma and was under hospice care. The family wrote hours later that he died surrounded by family and close friends.
Hillman earned CIF Southern Section offensive player of the year awards in 2007 and 2008 after leading La Habra to titles in the Southeast and Southwest divisions, respectively.
“We lost a great Highlander, such a pleasure to coach. So many great memories of you,” La Habra coach Frank Mazzotta posted on Twitter. “You could light up the room with your bright smile. As incredible as you were on the field you were even better off it. Loved by so many.”
After two seasons at San Diego State, Hillman was picked by the Broncos in the third round of the 2012 draft. He ran for 1,976 yards and 12 touchdowns in 56 games over his five-season NFL career (2012-16), which also included stints with the Minnesota Vikings and San Diego Chargers.
Hillman led the Broncos in rushing with 863 yards and scored seven touchdowns during the 2015 regular season. The season culminated with the Broncos beating the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
In a statement, the Broncos described Hillman as “soft-spoken with a warm smile and quiet intensity.” They added he “grew into a dynamic player and wellrespected teammate.”
Hillman rushed for 1,532 yards and 17 TDs for San Diego State in 2010. As a sophomore, he ran for 1,711 yards and 19 TDs in 2011 before declaring for the NFL draft
“Ronnie always came to practice with a smile on his face and his passion for the game was contagious,” San Diego State coach Brady Hoke said in a statement. “He’ll be an Aztec for life.”
Hillman’s family explained in its initial post that his form of cancer affects “young African Americans with sickle cell trait. Unfortunately treatment has not been successful.” the previous eight seasons with San Diego.
Myers, 32, has started major league games at first base, third base and each outfield spot. He is a .254 hitter with 153 homers and 521 RBIs in 1,063 games.
He hit .261 with seven homers and 41 RBIs in 77 games in his final season with the Padres.
Myers’ $20 million option was declined by San Diego last month, and he received a $1 million buyout that completed an $83 million, six-year contract.
Myers, the AL Rookie of the Year in 2013 while with Tampa Bay, was dealt to San Diego in December 2014. He hit 28 homers and finished with a career-best 94 RBIs and 28 steals in 2016, earning his only All-Star selection.
• The Baltimore Orioles acquired catcher James McCann and $19 million from the New York Mets for a player to be named.
McCann was an AllStar in 2019 for the Chicago White Sox, but hit just .195 with three home runs and 18 RBIs for the Mets last season. He joins a Baltimore team that already has perhaps the top young catcher in the game in Adley Rutschman, but the 32-year-old McCann could be a capable backup.
McCann became expendable when the Mets signed catcher Omar Narváez to a $15 million, two-year deal.
New York also has defensive standout Tomás Nido and touted prospect Francisco Álvarez behind the plate.
Narváez was an All-Star in 2021 with Milwaukee before batting just .206 with four homers and 23 RBIs in 84 games last season. .
The Equal Pay for Team USA Act, passed late Wednesday, will require all athletes representing the United States in global competition to receive equal pay and benefits in their sport, regardless of gender. It covers America’s 50-plus national sports and requires the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee to handle oversight.
The bill had earlier passed the Senate with unanimous support. It now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk.
In a speech Wednesday night on the Senate floor, Sen. Maria Cantwell (DWash.), who co-sponsored the bill with Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), called the bill a fitting way to cap off 2022, which marked the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the landmark law that promoted gender equity in sports.
“I want to thank heroes like Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan, who brought that case against U.S. Soccer,” Cantwell said of the American soccer stars, whose World Cup win in 2019 provided the backdrop for the start of the effort. “U.S. women’s soccer led the charge after winning the World Cup and making it clear to everyone that women athletes deserve equal pay.”
The bill stems from a federal gender discrimination lawsuit the U.S. women filed against U.S. Soccer in 2019. Earlier this year, the women signed a new collective bargaining agreement that included identical pay structures for men and women and equitable distribution of World Cup prize money.
Over the past decade, most Olympic sports in the U.S. have met USOPC standards regarding equal compensation. But there remained inequities between the men’s and women’s soccer teams — whose roles in international events, such as the World Cup, resulted in unequal pay structures and different oversight — that led legislators to seek to enshrine those standards into law.