Tennessee Titans cornerback Caleb Farley has gone through more loss and obstacles as a young adult than many have in their entire lives. In the days following the death of his father, Farley is now leaning on past experiences and his faith to grief after losing another family member.
Robert M. Farley, age 61, died late Monday night after the NFL player’s home in North Carolina exploded. The 24-year-old cornerback was training with the Titans in Nashville at the time, but another unidentified male was also injured in the explosion.
- Caleb Farley stats (career): 14 total tackles, 1 pass deflection in 12 career games
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Farley, the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, had already experienced setbacks and challenges as a player. He slipped in the draft due to medical concerns with his back then underwent season-ending back surgery months later in 2020. It was one of the many significant injuries Farley has dealt with as a player, but the losses in his personal life have been far worse.
In an interview with WCNC-TV, Farley shared how he learned of his father’s death and the grieving process he has been going through in the days since.
“I got a call around midnight last night in Nashville from a neighbor explaining the situation and it didn’t sound good from the start. I was really emotional earlier. I’ve kind of leveled off a little bit. It’s just been a hectic roller coaster of a ride. Not only today, just for me the past five years, period. So I’ve been leaning on my faith and staying with the principles my mother and my father raised me with, and that’s what’s been keeping me going.”
Tennessee Titans cornerback Caleb Farley on his father’s death
Farley is unfortunately no stranger to losing loved ones. In January 2018, Farley’s mother Robin Farley passed away after a courageous fight with breast cancer. He played that 2018 season with Virginia Tech in honor of his mother, while always receiving support from his dad during a difficult time for the entire family.
- Caleb Farley contract: $1.886 million salary in 2023, $4.294 million cap hit in 2024
Caleb was extremely close with his father, before his mother passed away and even more so after. In a 2018 interview with ESPN, he shared that of the few things he wanted to do after his playing career ended was to spend more time with his dad.
“To tell you the truth, I want to just go back home and coach at my high school and live with my Pops.”
Caleb Farley in 2018 on his plans after football
After losing both parents in the span of five years, Farley is now relying upon the things his mother and father taught him growing up. He learned about the importance of faith, while following in his father’s footsteps of being a stand-up guy who was always there to support family.
While early results are preliminary, investigators believe that a gas leak led to the explosion of Farley’s offseason home in Mooseville, North Carolina. The blast leveled the home and marks the second deadly residential explosion in the past week.