The father of Tennessee Titans cornerback Caleb Farley died in an apparent explosion around midnight on Monday that destroyed the NFL player’s North Carolina home and left another person injured, authorities said.
Robert M. Farley, 61, was found dead in the debris of the Lake Norman, North Carolina, house Tuesday morning, the Iredell County Fire Marshal’s Office said in a statement.
First responders went to the house around midnight. They found one victim exiting the collapsed structure. The person, who has not been identified publicly, was transported to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte with non-life-threatening injuries, county officials said.
Titans coach Mike Vrabel gathered the players after practice Tuesday afternoon. Vrabel informed them of what happened and then they took a knee to pray for Caleb Farley.
“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.”
County property records list the NFL player as the homeowner. The Titans player was not there at the time of the reported explosion, said Kent Greene, director of Iredell County Fire Services and Emergency Management. Property records list the tax value of the home as nearly $2 million.
Aerial footage of the lakeside home from QCNews.com showed the residence was reduced to rubble. Iredell County said the residence was 6,300 square feet and would be ruled a complete loss, along with multiple vehicles parked on site.
“We were the last ones in the locker room last night just hanging around,” Titans running back Derrick Henry said. “I’m praying for his family. It’s a tragic situation. I couldn’t describe the way he probably feels right now.”
Farley, the No. 22 overall pick in the 2021 draft, was placed on injured reserve in November with a back issue. He has played 12 games in his first two seasons and is currently listed as physically unable to perform as the Titans wrap up training camp this week.
In college, the 6-foot-2, 197-pound cornerback was the first high-profile player to opt out of the 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic. He lost his mother to cancer in 2018 and was unwilling to put another loved one at risk while playing at Virginia Tech.
The fire marshal’s office is continuing to investigate the cause of the collapse along with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Dominion Energy and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
“I know he lost his mother at a young age as well,” Titans safety Kevin Byard said of his teammate. “He’s dealt with a lot of adversity. It’s very tragic. It’s an unimaginable tragedy.”
ESPN’s Turron Davenport, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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