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Former Raiders All-Pro Center Barret Robbins Dies at 52

His story became a touchstone for how pro sports handle mental health.

Overview

  • The Raiders, who announced his death Friday, did not state a cause.
  • Hall of Famer Tim Brown said Marissa Robbins called to say he passed peacefully in his sleep and he asked fans to pray for their daughters and family.
  • A second-round pick in 1995 out of TCU, Robbins played nine seasons for Oakland with 121 games, 105 starts, and 2002 first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.
  • He vanished the day before Super Bowl XXXVII during a bipolar episode after missing medication, returned disoriented, and was held out of the game.
  • In the years after football he faced multiple arrests, was shot by police in 2005 during a Miami Beach confrontation, and served prison time for a drug-related probation violation, which reports now revisit alongside teammate tributes.