Bipolar Ex-NFL Star Gets 5 Years in Probation Case; Robbins Famously Went AWOL On '03 Superbowl Eve
A “surprisingly upbeat” former National Football League star who has struggled with bipolar disorder and substance abuse was sentenced today in Miami-Dade Circuit Court to five years in prison for violating probation by purchasing cocaine in Texas last year.
Barret Robbins was scheduled to play in the 2003 Superbowl as an offensive lineman on the Oakland Raiders when he famously disappeared before the game in what the Miami Herald describes as a “manic drug-induced bender” and reappeared in an incoherent state that led to his being benched.
Following various travails since then Robbins was offered and accepted a five-year plea deal after prosecutors contended he should be sentenced by a judge to as much as 10 years because he is dangerous, because of his size and speed, when he’s off his prescribed medication and taking drugs.
“I’m happy to have a resolution,” Robbins told a reporter as he was fingerprinted for what is expected to be over a year in state prison in Florida. behind bars, calling the outcome “kind of a relief to be honest with you.”
He says he expects to work on his autobiography while he is serving time and hopes it will help him start a foundation to help others who suffer from bipolar disorder.
