Barret Robbins, the former Oakland Raiders center whose disappearance before the 2003 Super Bowl stunned the NFL, has died at 52, the Las Vegas Raiders confirmed on Friday. No cause of death was released, per USA Today. Hall of Fame wide receiver and ex-Raiders teammate Tim Brown wrote in a social media post that he'd received a call from Robbins' wife, who informed him that Robbins had died "peacefully in his sleep," reports ESPN.
Robbins, a Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selection in the 2002 season, vanished in San Diego the day before 2003's Super Bowl XXXVII. He later said he'd been in an episode tied to bipolar disorder, which led him as far as Tijuana, Mexico. Robbins returned before the game started but he was deemed unable to play, with then-coach Bill Callahan saying Robbins was "incoherent," per Yahoo Sports; the Raiders went on to lose to the Buccaneers 48-21.
Robbins' struggles with mental health and substance use continued after his NFL career, including multiple arrests and a 2005 confrontation with police in which he was shot three times, per USA Today. Drafted in 1995 out of Texas Christian University, Robbins started 105 games for the Raiders. Former teammates Brown and Rich Gannon paid tribute online, with Brown asking for prayers for his family. The Raiders organization said it was "deeply saddened" by his passing and offered condolences to his family and friends. Here, an interview with Robbins a few months after his Super Bowl disappearance in which he tries to explain what happened.
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