March 5, 2021 Football is the closest thing in America to a gladiator sport — it’s no surprise that superstars fall apart every year between injuries, stress and personal issues. As we know it now, football will never be a completely safe game, and some top-tier players will have their careers cut short. Sometimes, though, an unstoppable force will cease to be for no apparent reason. No great injury, no familial death or contract dispute — the magic will simply vanish. Such a story was viewed on a national scale in the Cleveland Browns’ Peyton Hillis. Hillis’ accomplishments in the NFL are even more bizarre after looking at his college career. Attending the University of Arkansas, his most extraordinary year saw Hillis garner 950 yards total, rushing and receiving combined. Never at any point was he a standout talent — serviceable for sure but no indication of what was to come in his future. His six-foot, 240-pound frame with a 2.47 40-yard dash time was very average, and his pick number reflected that at pick 227 in the seventh round. He was placed in the fullback position in his 2008 rookie season.