Former Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro center Barret Robbins has passed away at the age of 52, the team has confirmed. No cause of death is known.
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"The Raiders Family is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Barret Robbins," the team said in a Friday statement. "Oakland's second-round draft pick out of TCU in 1995, he was among the league's top centers over nine seasons with the Raiders, earning first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in 2002.
"He played in 121 career games with 105 starts, all with the Silver and Black. The thoughts and condolences of the entire Raider Nation are with Barret's family and friends during this difficult time."
Former Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown was the first person to break the news about Robbins passing away. He posted a series of messages on X on Friday. Former Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon also offered his condolences on social media after hearing the news.
"Good evening! It's with great regret I tell you I just received a call from Marissa Robbins informing me that Raiders All-Pro center Barret Robbins passed away overnight," Brown wrote. "Thankfully, he passed peacefully in his sleep.
"Please pray for their girls, his family and tons of teammates who will be affected by this! It's unfortunate that his life was never the same after he was not allowed to play in the Super Bowl! Rest Peacefully, BR, you deserve it!"
Robbins spent nine seasons in the NFL, all with the then-Oakland Raiders. He suited up for 121 games throughout his career while working to protect the quarterbacks wearing the Silver and Black.
His best season came in 2002. He started all 16 games as the Raiders went 11-5 and won the division. He then suited up for two playoff games as the team earned a spot in the Super Bowl. Robbins earned a trip to the Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors.
However, the Texas native did not suit up for the Big Game. He disappeared for nearly 24 hours before returning to the team in the evening hours.
The Washington Post reported at the time that Robbins had taken a taxi to the Mexico border and then spent several hours drinking heavily in a bar. One eyewitness said that he would alternate between happiness and crying.
"It was a situation where things had culminated to the point where he was incoherent and he was incapable of even knowing where he was," coach Bill Callahan said after dismissing Robbins for the Super Bowl. Robbins later said that he had not taken his medication.
He spent nine more games with the Raiders in 2003 before being released in 2004 for using performance-enhancing drugs.
Robbins dealt with legal issues after the end of his NFL career. He was arrested in 2004 for punching a security guard in San Francisco and then he was shot three times during a brawl with police in 2005.
Robbins, who spent time in rehab facilities, was sentenced to five years in prison in 2011 for a drug violation. Police pulled him over and discovered drugs in his car. He only spent 1.5 years behind bars before securing his release.
The former Raiders center was also charged felony battery in 2016 after allegedly punching a mother and her daughter in Florida. He then went to a mental health facility.
