Investigators determine cause of explosion that killed Titans CB Caleb Farley's father

Tragedy struck the family of Tennessee Titans cornerback Caleb Farley this month when an explosion occurred at his house that killed his father, Robert Farley. Now, authorities know what sparked it.

According to WSOC TV, it was natural gas that caused the blow-up:

“The collapse at NFL cornerback Caleb Farley’s home that killed his father earlier this month was caused by a natural gas explosion, according to a new report Tuesday from the Iredell County Fire Marshal’s Office.”

That news lines up with the reporting on-scene the night it happened, when neighbors in the area told Queen City News they heard “a loud explosion” and smelled gas.

“A loud boom, about five minutes to midnight,” said Clay Wild of the explosion, who heard the sounds of it while out for an evening walk. “A gorgeous house, in all respects, I can’t believe it.”

Queen City News also observed some Mooresville ladder trucks and EMS vehicles leaving the scene around 7 a.m. Tuesday Aug. 22 while North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and ATF agents remained at the scene.

Farley’s house, a 6,391 square-foot home, had natural gas and was built in 2016, according to public records. WSOC TV also noted that Farley doesn’t spend a ton of time at this house, as he plays in Tennessee with the Titans. Plus, they say he originally bought the house for his late father. Farley was born in Maiden, NC, close to where the house was located.

More on Farley’s playing career

A standout at Virginia Tech, Farley went in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft to the Tennessee Titans.

He grew up around the Mooresville area, going to high school at Maiden. This season, Farley began training camp on the physically-unable-to-perform list due to a back injury. He has 14 tackles in his career so far in 12 games played for Tennessee. At Virginia Tech, he had two interceptions as a redshirt freshman, then added four more in 2019.

Unfortunately for the former Hokie, his career has been riddled with injuries. Farley has undergone three back surgeries since he began playing college football and also has had two ACL surgeries. His most recent back injury, a herniated disc, occurred in November.

Now, the 24-year-old enters his third NFL season, all with the Titans, as he hopes to take on an even larger role than he did the previous two years.