House Explosion Kills Father of Caleb Farley, Titans Cornerback

The North Carolina home of Caleb Farley, the Tennessee Titans cornerback, was destroyed in an explosion late Monday that killed his father and injured a family friend, the authorities said on Tuesday.

The explosion at Mr. Farley’s house in Moorseville, about 30 miles north of Charlotte, occurred just before midnight, according to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators believe it was most likely the result of a gas leak, though an investigation is continuing, said Kent Greene, director of fire services and emergency management for Iredell County.

There was no evidence of foul play, according to the sheriff’s office.

Robert Matthew Farley, 61, Mr. Farley’s father, was found dead in a bedroom at the home. Christian Rogers, 25, a family friend who was also staying at the home at the time of the explosion, survived. He was taken to the hospital and is “awake and alert” and expected to be discharged soon, Mr. Greene said on Tuesday afternoon.

“It’s a miracle he survived,” Mr. Greene said.

Caleb Farley was not at home at the time of the explosion, a spokesperson for the Titans confirmed.

Mike Vrabel, the head coach for the Titans, described the event as “shocking” and said that the team would do whatever it could for Mr. Farley.

“What’s most important is that we do everything that we can to support him, emotionally — teammates, coaches, organization,” Mr. Vrabel said at a news conference on Tuesday. “But also, got to focus on Caleb and his family and what we can do to support them and be here for them.”

Caleb Farley grew up in Maiden, N.C. He was a high school quarterback, and attended Virginia Tech where he was a receiver in 2017.

In 2020, Mr. Farley was the first major college football player to tell his college coaches that he would not play football that season because of the coronavirus pandemic. He was drafted by the Titans in 2021 as a cornerback.