Former NFL Star, Super Bowl Champion Loses Florida Home in Fire

By Brian Jones

A former NFL star and Super Bowl champion is getting help from his community. As mentioned by the Pensacola News Journal, Fred Robbins, who won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants in 2008, lost his home in a fire Tuesday morning in Florida. A GoFundMe page was launched by Robbins' mother-in-law, two sisters-in-law and Madrina Ciano, who is a close friend of the family. 

"To me, the natural assumption is, 'Well, why do we need to rally behind a Super Bowl champ?'" Ciano said. "But I don't care who you are and what stage of life you're in, this is a big thing to bounce back from. And who's got money just sitting on hand to go buy every single essential that you need?"

Robbins and his wife Tia are staples in the Pensacola community as they launched a mentorship program called Mr. Robbins Neighborhood. They are also involved in the Pensacola Champier of Jack and Jill of America and Impact 100. No family members were hurt in the fire, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

"It was 3:30 in the morning. They were in their PJs. They had to go buy a toothbrush and change of clothes just to make it through day one," Ciano said. "And it's a family of four and they lost everything from school clothes to activities that the boys liked. I know they plucked her wedding ring out of the rubble as well as his Super Bowl ring. But overall, it's pretty much a total loss. So, imagine all that history."  

Ciano continued: "I don't care if you're a Super Bowl champ or you're affluent, this is a lot to bounce back from and there will be a lot of immediate needs. So my intent for the fund was to allow them cash flow to meet those needs as they occurred." Robbins, 44, was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2000 draft and was with the team for four seasons. In 2004, Robbins, who played defensive tackle, signed a  six-year, $20 million deal with the Giants and had his best season in 2008, recording 36 tackles and 5.5 sacks. In 2010, Robbinson signed a deal with the St. Louis Rams was with the franchise until he was released in 2012. 

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