Specified Cast Is Not Valid Error In Datagrid/update Script

I have a datagrid script where I modify data in an sql dbase in asp.net, when i hit the "update" button, I get a Specified cast is not valid error on my 'descript' declaration, whereas 'descript' is a multiline text box and a varchar datatype (everything else is either a char or a datetime datatype). Am I assigning 'descript' a wrong datatype? Tried making it a nvarchar, still get same result
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Sub MyDataGrid_UpdateCommand(s As Object, e As DataGridCommandEventArgs )
 Dim conn As SQLConnection
 Dim MyCommand As SQLCommand
 Dim strConn as string = "Server=sql.mydomain.com;Initial Catalog=mydb;User ID=DBxxx;Password=xxxxx;"
 Dim company As textbox = E.Item.cells(2).Controls(0)
 Dim address As textbox = E.Item.cells(3).Controls(0)
 Dim city As textbox = E.Item.Cells(4).Controls(0)
 Dim state As textbox = E.Item.cells(5).Controls(0)
 Dim county As textbox = E.Item.cells(6).Controls(0)
 Dim zip As textbox = E.Item.cells(7).Controls(0)
 Dim phone As textbox = E.Item.cells(8).Controls(0)
'''''' the following line declaring the descript var is the line of the error
 Dim descript As textbox = E.Item.cells(9).Controls(0)
 Dim web As textbox = E.Item.cells(10).Controls(0)
 Dim email As textbox = E.Item.cells(11).Controls(0)
 Dim datesold As textbox = E.Item.cells(12).Controls(0)
 Dim dateexpire As textbox = E.Item.cells(13).Controls(0)
 
 Dim strUpdateStmt As String
        strUpdateStmt =" UPDATE CPAs SET" & _
        " company = @company, address = @address, city = @city, state = @state, " & _
        "county = @county, zip = @zip, phone = @phone, descript =@ descript, " & _
  "web = @web, email = @email, datesold = @datesold, dateexpire = @dateexpire" & _
  " WHERE cpaID = @cpaID"
 conn = New SqlConnection(strConn)
 MyCommand = New SqlCommand(strUpdateStmt, conn)
 MyCommand.Parameters.Add(New SqlParameter("@company", company.text))
 MyCommand.Parameters.Add(New SqlParameter("@address", address.text))
 MyCommand.Parameters.Add(New SqlParameter("@city", city.text))
 MyCommand.Parameters.Add(New SqlParameter("@state", state.text))
 MyCommand.Parameters.Add(New SqlParameter("@county", county.text))
 MyCommand.Parameters.Add(New SqlParameter("@zip", zip.text))
 MyCommand.Parameters.Add(New SqlParameter("@phone", phone.text))
 MyCommand.Parameters.Add(New SqlParameter("@descript", descript.text))
 MyCommand.Parameters.Add(New SqlParameter("@web", web.text))
 MyCommand.Parameters.Add(New SqlParameter("@email", email.text))
 MyCommand.Parameters.Add(New SqlParameter("@datesold", datesold.text))
 '', dateexpire =@dateexpire
 MyCommand.Parameters.Add(New SqlParameter("@dateexpire", dateexpire.text))
 
 MyCommand.Parameters.Add(New SqlParameter("@cpaID", e.Item.Cells(1).Text ))
 conn.Open()
 MyCommand.ExecuteNonQuery()
 MyDataGrid.EditItemIndex = -1
        conn.close
 BindData
End Sub
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
netsports