Caleb Farley, the rookie cornerback for the Tennessee Titans, is mourning the loss of his father, Robert Matthews Farley, who died in a massive explosion at the player's home in North Carolina on Monday night. The blast, which is being investigated as a possible natural gas leak, also injured a family friend and destroyed the multimillion-dollar lakeside property.
According to Queen City News , Robert Farley, 61, was staying at the 6,300-square-foot home in Mooresville, a suburb of Charlotte, when the explosion occurred just before midnight. Emergency crews found his body around 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday after searching through the rubble. Christian Rogers, 25, who was also at the home, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital.
Caleb Farley, 24, was not at home at the time of the explosion. He arrived at the scene on Tuesday morning and spoke to authorities. The former Virginia Tech star was drafted by the Titans in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft and is expected to compete for a starting spot in the secondary.
This is not the first tragedy that Caleb Farley has faced in his life. In 2018, he lost his mother, Robin Farley, to breast cancer . He has also dealt with multiple back surgeries that affected his draft stock and delayed his debut with the Titans.
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel expressed his condolences and support for Caleb Farley and his family during a press conference on Tuesday. "What's most important is that we do everything we can to support him emotionally," Vrabel said . "It's shocking. We've got to focus on Caleb and his family, and how we can support him."
Vrabel also said that he gathered the players after practice and they took a knee to pray for their teammate. "We're all here for him," Vrabel said. "We're all here to support him in any way that we can."
Caleb Farley's fellow cornerback Kevin Byard also offered his sympathy and admiration for his resilience. "He's dealt with a lot of adversity," Byard said . "It's very tragic. It's an unimaginable tragedy."
The cause of the explosion is still under investigation by the Iredell County Sheriff's Office and fire services. No foul play is suspected, but officials are looking into an issue of natural gas . Dominion Energy, the utility company that serves the area, said it was working with emergency officials and expressed its condolences to all those affected.
The explosion also damaged several vehicles parked outside the home and shook nearby houses. Neighbors reported hearing a loud boom and smelling gas around midnight . "There's a lot of devastation," Iredell County director of fire services and emergency management Kent Greene said . "There's nothing left of this structure except a partial wall."
The home, which was purchased by Caleb Farley in June for $2 million , was located on Lake Norman and had five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a pool and a boat dock. It was reduced to ashes and debris by the blast.
As Caleb Farley grieves for his father, he also faces uncertainty about his future in the NFL. He has yet to play in a preseason game due to his recovery from back surgery and is on the non-football injury list. He is eligible to return to practice at any time, but Vrabel said he does not have a timetable for his return .
Caleb Farley has shown remarkable strength and determination throughout his career. He overcame his mother's death and his back issues to become one of the top prospects in his draft class. He has also been praised for his character and leadership by his coaches and teammates.
We hope that he can find some comfort and peace in this difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.
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