Robby Santiago 1987--2015

SI Now line producer Robby Santiago, 27, fell ill and died of undetermined causes on Friday, July 3. Here, SI Now host Maggie Gray remembers a man she calls "the heart and soul of our show."

Earlier this year we were without a showrunner, and Robby temporarily stepped up to fill the role though he'd never done it before. He worked hard—and then he worked harder. He was a constant. He was creative. He was our safety net. Robby had an unforgettable laugh, a high-pitched chuckle with a dash of Krusty the Clown. His laugh was so powerful, I could hear it through the soundproof glass in our studio. It was the most encouraging sound because he couldn't fake it. If you got one of Robby's laughs, it was like a green light. You knew it was a good show. We'll miss that laugh.

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DT SLOUFFMAN FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (SANTIAGO)