Raiders center Barret Robbins spent 30 days in an undisclosed treatment facility for bipolar disorder and alcohol abuse, his agent said in a statement March 5, 2003.
Speaking publicly for the first time since being suspended from the team the morning of Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego, Robbins (right) 
said in a statement issued by Drew Pittman: "I love the game of football and while it is going to be hard to face my teammates and the public, it is something I have to do. I will continue to receive ongoing treatment and will remain on medication to treat my bipolar disorder. I understand my sincerity will be judged by my actions, not my words."
Robbins, 29, reportedly missed two meetings and a walkthrough practice the day before the Raiders lost 48-21 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Qualcomm Stadium on Jan. 26, 2003. At a news conference three days later, Raiders coach Bill Callahan said Robbins "was incoherent and incapable of even knowing where he was at that point" when the Pro Bowl center returned to the team's hotel the night before the franchise's first Super Bowl since 1984.
After the Raiders' crushing loss to the Bucs, some teammates lashed out at Robbins.
"We are family and you don't do that to a family," guard Frank Middleton told reporters at Qualcomm Stadium. "If he wanted help, he could have come to me. If my wife slept with another man, I'm not going to ask her why. (Robbins) went over to the enemy. If Barret Robbins comes back, I won't."
Guard Mo Collins said, "Whatever rock he came up from, he can stay there as far as I'm concerned."
Pittman told The Associated Press on March 5 that that "the Raiders acknowlege the challenge of Barret coming back into the locker room, but they continue to welcome him back."
Robbins said in the statement: "I hope everyone can appreciate that first and foremost I have to focus on my health and on restoring relationships. In addition, to comment on the statements and feelings of my teammates regarding my situation is not productive. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
"You never think something like this can happen to you, but it did. I intend to do what I can to help others who suffer from this disease and to raise public awareness of mental illness. It is not something I am proud of but it is not something I am ashamed of either. I hope some good can come from what I went through and what I continue to deal with."
Bipolar disorder is a condition caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. It is known to affect a person's behavior, "including the abuse of alcohol or other substances," according to an earlier statement crafted by Pittman and Robbins' wife, Marissa, which was released Feb. 3.
Robbins, reportedly had stopped taking his medication for depression before the Super Bowl. After being informed by Callahan he wouldn't play in the Super Bowl, the center reportedly checked into a San Diego hospital.
The Raiders suspended Robbins the week following Super Bowl XXXVII, according to published reports. The eight-year veteran is under contract to the team through the 2007 season, and is scheduled to earn $3.2 million next season. Robbins was voted to his first Pro Bowl this past season. He also was named to the Associated Press 2002 All-Pro team.
Robbins In Limbo
Pro Bowl center Barret Robbins has an uncertain future - on and off the football field.
Three days after the Raiders' 48-21 Super Bowl loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Oakland coach Bill Callahan told Bay Area reporters that his decision to dismiss Robbins from the team was a "no-brainer" but didn't rule out the seven-year starter remaining a Raider.
Robbins, 29, was dismissed the morning of Super Bowl XXXVII on Jan. 26. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound center reportedly was hospitalized in San Diego after he couldn't arrange a flight to the Bay Area. Backup Adam Treu started against the Buccaneers in place of Robbins, who was selected to his first Pro Bowl this season.
Robbins, who reportedly had stopped taking his medicine for depression, disappeared from the team's hotel in the San Diego suburb of La Jolla the night of Jan. 24. Almost 24 hours later, he returned to the hotel. According to media reports, Robbins missed a team meeting Saturday morning and missed a walk-through at Qualcomm Stadium later in the day. He reportedly was suffering from alcohol poisoning when he attempted to attend a team meeting Saturday night.
"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 at that point," Callahan said at a news conference at the Raiders training complex in Alameda, Calif. on Jan. 29. "So, the decision on game day for this team, was a no-brainer."
Callahan said he informed Robbins the morning of Jan. 26 that Robbins would not play in the Super Bowl. The Raiders' first-year coach said he never saw or spoke with Robbins the previous evening but was told of the lineman's condition by a club official.
"I was fearful something wrong was occurring," Callahan said. "I was concerned about something tragic happening. He wasn't in the physical or mental state to play a game."
After reportedly being asked by the team to check out of the hotel, Robbins was driven to the San Diego airport by a Raiders official. Robbins couldn't book a flight because he had lost his wallet and identification, Callahan said.
Callahan also told reporters he couldn't confirm that Robbins had been hospitalized and didn't know his whereabouts. "I'm concerned, but I know he's in good hands," Callahan said.
After the Raiders lost to the Bucs, some teammates lashed out at Robbins.
"We are family and you don't do that to a family," guard Frank Middleton told reporters at Qualcomm Stadium. "If he wanted help, he could have come to me. If my wife slept with another man, I'm not going to ask her why. (Robbins) went over to the enemy. If Barret Robbins comes back, I won't."
Guard Mo Collins said, "Whatever rock he came up from, he can stay there as far as I'm concerned."
Callahan, who led the Raiders to their first Super Bowl in 19 years, was sympathetic to Robbins' plight.
"I feel terrible in a lot of respects for the situation and very disappointed, as I'm sure Barret's disappointed," Callahan said. "I have not had an opportunity to speak with Barret, but I know that he senses and feels that. Hopefully we can rectify and he can rectify the current situation that he's in."
Callahan said there's a "viable" chance that Robbins would play again with the Raiders. Robbins reportedly has a $3.2 million salary cap figure for 2003. The eight-year veteran is signed through 2007.
