Cause Of Fatal Explosion At NFL Player's House Determined

The explosion at the North Carolina home of Tennessee Titans cornerback Caleb Farley that resulted in his father's death was caused by a natural gas leak with an unknown point of origin, the Iredell County Fire Marshal's Office announced on Tuesday (August 29) via WCNC.

Investigators said they were able to make the determination, however, had been prevented from investigating the cause and origin of the explosion due to the instability of the house's remaining structure.

Robert Farley, 61, was identified as the casualty in the massive explosion at the multi-million dollar home on August 22. The cornerback had previously lost his mother following a lengthy battle with breast cancer in January 2018.

"I was really emotional earlier," Caleb Farley told reporters at the property via WCNC. "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 last five years."

Caleb Farley, who was placed on the Titans' active/physically unable to perform list at the start of training camp, was not at the home at the time of the explosion, a spokesperson for the team confirmed to the Tennessean during the initial repot.

“The 6,391 square foot home is a total loss,” Iredell County Emergency Management said in a news release sent to USA TODAY at the time.

First responders received a report of an explosion and house collapse and arrived at the scene at around midnight local time. Farley purchased the four-bedroom, four-bathroom for $2.05 million in 2022, according to property records obtained by the Tennessean.

Farley was selected by the Titans at No. 22 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. The former Virginia Tech standout appeared in nine games and made one start in 2022.