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Monday, February 3
Updated: March 25, 4:28 PM ET
 
Barret Robbins statement

ESPN.com news services

Below is the complete statement from Barret Robbins' agent, Drew Pittman, given exclusively to ESPN:

Barret would like to express his remorse and deep sadness for the events surrounding the Super Bowl. He knows many people have been hurt by his actions, including his family, his teammates, the Raider organization, the Raider Nation, and the game of football.

Barret has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which is a medical condition caused by a chemical imbalance within the brain. It affects a person's ability to comprehend and reason. It is often accompanied by irrational behavior including the abuse of alcohol or other substances and a predisposition for inflicting bodily harm to oneself. In Barret's case alcohol was involved. Barret is currently in a hospital receiving treatment for his condition. At this time, there is no estimate as to how long he will be there.

An unfortunate reality in our world is there are many people who want to profit from other people's misfortune. This situation is no different. There are people who witnessed some of the irrational behavior brought on by his bipolar condition. The details of his behavior are not completely verifiable, as even Barret does not have a full recollection. Individuals who participated with him and did nothing to help his situation are trying to profit from Barret's misfortune. To pay these individuals for their secrecy is in direct conflict with Barret's desire to be fully accountable for his actions. These matters have been turned over to legal authorities.

At this point, Barret's future in professional football is uncertain. Barret is an individual who loves the game of football and despite his recent actions, respects the game. Currently, Barret's primary concern is getting well and getting a handle on his condition. The Raiders have not made any decisions regarding his employment as they, too, are more concerned with his well being as a person. We cannot comment on behalf of the Raiders, we can only communicate their position as it has been expressed to us. The hope is he will be able to get his condition under control and will be able to resume his career. We would like to thank the Raiders for their support.

Obviously, this is a tragic situation for everyone involved. Barret worked his entire life to be able to play in the Super Bowl and the Pro Bowl and he has missed these opportunities. In addition, he has been publicly embarrassed. Our hopes are that your thoughts and prayers would be with him and his family during the upcoming months as he sets out to recover from this illness.




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