NFL player’s dad killed in explosion, collapse of $3M Lake Norman home his son owns

Firefighters on Tuesday found NFL player Caleb Farley’s father dead in the rubble of a massive, collapsed Lake Norman home owned by the Tennessee Titans cornerback.

Deputies first responded to the gas-scented scene at about 12 a.m., Iredell County Emergency Management reported. The $3 million home used to stand near a north Lake Norman cove just past Trump National Golf Club, property records show.

At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, county Fire Services and Emergency Management Director Kent Greene said officials are “looking into the issue of natural gas but the investigation is ongoing... It appears to be an accident.”

First responders found 25-year-old Christian Rogers, a friend of the family, walking out of the house on the 280 block of Barber Loop and later found Robert M. Farley, 61, dead in the debris just after 4:30 a.m. Officials believe he was in the home’s back bedroom, but it was “difficult to identify a specific location due to the extent of the damage,” Greene said.

The home was used as the residence of Robert Farley, Greene said. Rogers apparently was able to walk out of the home with a concussion. Authorities initially feared nobody could have survived the explosion.

“It’s incredible he was able to walk away,” Greene said of Rogers, who was taken to Atrium’s main hospital in Charlotte for treatment.

Caleb Farley was at the scene of the deadly explosion later Tuesday morning and spoke with the fire marshal. His aunt and uncle also were on the scene, according to Greene.

The 6,000-square-foot house was leveled, Greene said, and several cars were also lost.

The Iredell County Fire Marshal’s Office, along with representatives from the NC State Bureau of Investigation and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, are continuing to investigate.

In July 2019, an explosion in Ballantyne that likely was caused by a natural gas leak leveled a home and left one woman dead, authorities said at the time.

About Caleb Farley

Caleb Farley, a 24-year-old Maiden native and former Virginia Tech cornerback, has owned the home since May 2022, records show.

He was the Titans’ first-round pick in the 2021 draft, and was on injured reserve in November. He is currently on the team’s Physically Unable to Perform list, according to a report on tennessetitans.com. The site also reported that Robert Farley regularly attended his son’s games.

“What’s most important is that we do everything we can to support (Farley), emotionally,” Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said during a press conference after practice Tuesday, according to the Tennessean.

According to his bio on the Titans’ website, Farley credited his late mother, Robin Farley, for instilling in him the faith to carry on during tough times. She died of breast cancer in 2018.

“She filled my heart with the love of God,” her son said, “and that’s why I am where I am today.”

Adam Bell and Kallie Cox contributed to this report