MOORESVILLE, N.C. — After the news spread that a fatal home explosion in Mooresville near Lake Norman overnight Tuesday claimed the life of Tennessee Titans cornerback Caleb Farley's father, many people expressed their condolences to the North Carolina native including his head coach Mike Vrabel and his teammate running back Derrick Henry.
This is not Caleb Farley's first brush with tragedy. In January 2018, his mother Robin Farley died after a long battle with breast cancer. She and his father were high school sweethearts and were married for 30 years.
Caleb Farley, 24, attended Maiden High School in Maiden, North Carolina and graduated in 2017. He played quarterback there before committing to Virginia Tech. He was going to play wide receiver his freshman year, but he tore his ACL, missing his entire first season.
After recovering for his injury, VaTech converted him to a cornerback. In 2019, he was named first-team All-ACC.
The Tennessee Titans drafted him with their 22nd overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. However, during Week 6 of his first season playing for the Titans, he tore his ACL. He played nine games in 2022 before suffering a herniated disk.
"I'm just trying to get my body in order," Farley told WCNC Charlotte in July. "Heal properly, make sure I'm 100% and get all the way back."
Farley spoke to WCNC Charlotte's sports director Nick Carboni in July when he returned to the Charlotte area to host his second-annual youth football camp, offered for free. Over 100 kids showed up to participate in Farley's football camp. Below is that July interview Carboni did with Farley before the death of his father.
"It means more than I could express with words," Farley said about the football camp. "I was just over here emotional, just taking it all in. It's something that I would love to continue to do."
Farley was a legend for the Maiden High School Blue Devils.
"It was video-game-like," head coach Will Byrne said.
At Maiden, Farley scored eight touchdowns in a game -- two weeks in a row. He scored 58 touchdowns in a single season.
After everything was said and done, the two-way player put together one of the greatest careers in state history.
"If we were ever in trouble we'd call 'No. 5 go,'" Byrne said. "It wasn't really a call. Let's just run Caleb and see what he can do."
Farley returns to Maiden every chance he can, making sure to grab a cheeseburger at Don's Grill, and even attending home playoff games and spring practices.
At his camp, he's a hands-on coach, showing off the old quarterback skills and giving the kids lessons in defensive technique from an NFL cornerback.
"I hope they just come out here and have fun," Farley said. "That's what the game is about. Having fun. And that's what I want them to come out here and do."
Is Farley still having fun?
"Absolutely. I have fun. Every day is fun," Farley said. "We get paid very well to play a child's game."
No matter what, he's giving back to his hometown.
"This community has always supported me," Farley said. "I love them for it. So they will always have my support in return."
Contact Nick Carboni at ncarboni@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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