On the eve of Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego, the Oakland Raiders locker room faced an unprecedented situation. Their All-Pro center, Barret Robbins, was missing right before the biggest game of their lives. His teammates waited around in the bus while the staff looked everywhere, but he was nowhere to be found. Was he kidnapped? That’s what most thought. But the reality was far more complex.

Robbins, who struggled with depression ever since his college days at TCU, was in the middle of a severe panic episode. He was not even in San Diego but had crossed to Tijuana, Mexico, thinking that they, the Raiders, had already won against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So he spent hours drinking and celebrating the Super Bowl win. After he came to his senses, he did make it back to the team 24 hours before kickoff. But by then, it was too late.

When he resurfaced, he was apparently so disoriented that he couldn’t even recognize head coach Bill Callahan. The coach refused to let him play, telling ESPN at that time that his player was completely incoherent. The Raiders went on to lose 48-21, and many fans blamed Robbins’ absence as a reason. On March 26, 2026, the man who spent a lifetime maybe trying to outrun the shadow of that very night passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 52. Tim Brown, Robbins’ former Raiders teammate, shared the tragic news on X after getting a call from Robbins’ wife, Marisa.

“It’s with great regret I tell you I just received a call from Marisa Robbins informing me that Raiders All-Pro center Barrett Robbins passed away overnight,” Brown wrote on X. “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!”

Recalling that incident, he told NBC Sports Bay Area broadcaster Greg Papa, “I was aware of all that, but I wasn’t. I wasn’t able to do the right things to get … you know … I don’t know. I just made some bad decisions, obviously.” But that night led to one thing, and that is the proper diagnosis of his condition. He was then diagnosed with bipolar disorder. And though this is one of the most public displays of his struggles with mental health, it was not the first.

Barrett was found wandering the team hotel in Denver in his second NFL season (1996). He’d also gone missing in the week ahead of the AFC Championship Game of the 2000 season. And then followed the Super Bowl XXXVII disaster, where Robbins told HBO’s Real Sports that he had been in a manic episode for the two weeks leading up to the big game. It had been a struggle ever since.

A BALCO steroid violation ended his NFL career in 2004. In 2005, the authorities notably shot him thrice in Miami Beach during a fight. Robbins faced a mu—er charge. Since then, Robbins had struggled with substance abuse, physical altercations, and subsequent arrests, and even served prison time in Florida. However, he was more than just someone struggling with his mental health, and there were glimpses of the person he wanted to be.

On a random day in October 2014, he went unannounced to a Special Olympics event at Dublin High School, helping out and cheering for the kids. A parent, Michelle McDonald, recognized him and called her husband, Jerry, who happened to be a beat reporter for the Oakland Raiders. Robbins was now crashing on a friend’s couch at that time. Jerry wrote about his meeting with Robbins, and former Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon asked for a contact number from Jerry to reach his old friend. But Robbins hadn’t left one, now leaving that door forever closed.

Now, when news of his passing broke, it didn’t just register as another headline for everyone; it hit differently. 

Raider Nation remembers Barret Robbins

Robbins suited up for the Raiders for 9 seasons, his entire NFL career. So when they found out their star had passed away, the Raiders were among the first to offer a formal tribute. They spoke about his career and acknowledged the loss as a family-wide one. 

“The Raiders Family is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Barret Robbins,” they wrote on X. “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 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.”

Rich Gannon, the quarterback Robbins had protected through Oakland’s best years, also shared his tribute. For Gannon, who’d once tried to reach his old friend and failed, this news hurt very close to home.

“Sad to hear of the passing of my center and former teammate, Barret Robbins,” Gannon wrote on X. “RIP my brother! 🙏🏼”

Former Kansas City Chiefs center Tim Gruhard, who’d developed a competitor’s bond watching and interacting with Robbins, shared a short tribute as well.

“Loved Barrett. So sorry to hear this,” Gruhard wrote. “We had many great post-game conversations over the years! #centerfraternity.”

While countless prayers and condolences poured in from Raider Nation, some also remembered that missed Super Bowl. But the Raiders had his episodes on record since 1996, and no intervention came before the 2002 season, only a game-morning fitness check and a last-minute ban. One fan pushed back on that being Robbins’ whole story.

“People always talk about that Super Bowl…” they wrote. “But he was a Pro Bowl, All-Pro center who helped build that team. Respect his full legacy. Rest in peace. Football aside, his journey showed how important it is to take mental health seriously.”

Rich Gannon’s post wasn’t because of what happened in San Diego in January 2003. Tim Brown’s heartfelt tribute wasn’t because of a missed game. When Barret Robbins showed up at Dublin High School in 2014 without an announcement, he was cheering for the kids. That was the full person. The Super Bowl is what the record books hold. But his teammates have always held something far more valuable.