Three days after Tampa Bay humbled his team in the Super Bowl, Oakland Raiders head coach Bill Callahan finally addressed the only mystery in his offensive line the Buccaneers’ defense did not solve.
Where was Raiders Pro Bowl center Barret Robbins, and why wasn’t he at the biggest game of his career?
When Robbins, who has a history of depression, was suspended and did not play in Sunday’s game in San Diego, his absence spurred reports and rumors across one of sports’ largest media stages.
Callahan said he has not talked to Robbins since the game.
“I’m concerned, but I know he’s in good hands,” he said.
He declined to reveal Robbins’ whereabouts but said Robbins was unable to make immediate flight arrangements from San Diego back to Oakland because his wallet and identification were missing.
A man who told the San Francisco Chronicle he had been drinking with Robbins on the eve of the game said the player became despondent.
“All he could think about was his family, his two daughters,” said Cartier Dise. “He was talking about killing himself, saying he was disappointing people and he had a lot of people to support financially and he was letting them all down.”
Dise did not disclose where they had been drinking. Several teammates said Robbins spent at least part of Saturday in Tijuana, Mexico.
Callahan, who removed Robbins from the team hotel and to wife Marisa’s care Sunday morning, said while the staff monitors players’ activities up to a point, Robbins’ situation “didn’t mandate personal bodyguards around the clock.”
“There’s a point in time you can only do so much as a coach and as an organization,” said Callahan, who insisted Robbins is “absolutely” still a Raider with a “viable” chance to remain with the team.
But his teammates were skeptical of that after Sunday’s game. Offensive guard Mo Collins was blunt. Collins blamed Robbins’ absence on “too much bad tequila,” and added, “Whatever rock he came up from he can stay there as far as I’m concerned.”
