Former Raiders Player Barret Robbins' Cause of Death Remains Unknown

Barret Robbins, one of the best centers to ever play for the former Oakland Raiders, suddenly died Thursday at age 52

The Raiders selected him in the second round of the 1995 NFL Draft from the TCU Horned Frogs and spent all nine of his professional seasons in the Silver and Black, starting 105 games and appearing in 121 total across his career. 

But his potential blockbuster career took the first hit in 2003. The day before Super Bowl XXXVII, he disappeared from the team hotel. He later explained that he had stopped taking his medication, triggering a manic episode that forced him to believe that the Raiders had won that game mistakenly. 

He was eventually found but ruled unfit to play. Without their All-Pro center, the Raiders lost 48–21 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Following the game, Robbins entered treatment at the Betty Ford Center and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

He returned for the 2003 season and started nine games before the Raiders released him. He never played in the NFL again. His life after football was marked by severe legal and personal struggles. 

In 2005, police shot him three times during a burglary investigation in Miami Beach. The Texas native later pleaded guilty to several charges related to the incident. In 2011, he was sentenced to five years in prison for a drug-related probation violation and was released the following year.

However, Robbins died in his sleep overnight, according to a Boston 25 News report. The Raiders confirmed his death news Friday by releasing a statement, although his cause of death has yet to be determined, per USA TODAY.  

"The Raiders Family is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Barret Robbins," the team penned. "The thoughts and condolences of the entire Raider Nation are with Barret's family and friends during this difficult time."