Home owned by NFL player explodes Tuesday in Mooresville, killing his father

A Mooresville home owned by NFL cornerback and Maiden native Caleb Farley exploded Tuesday, killing Farley's father and leaving a family friend injured.

Farley, who plays for the Tennessee Titans, was not home at the time. First responders found Robert Farley, 61, in the debris. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The family friend, 25-year-old Christian Rogers, escaped the home and was taken to a hospital with a concussion.

The 6,391-square-foot home, on Barber Loop on Lake Norman, was leveled in the blast, which officials said appeared to have been caused by a gas leak. Property records showed the home was valued at about $2 million. Several vehicles were also deemed a total loss.

Multiple fire departments, the Iredell County Fire Marshal’s Office and Emergency Management officials responded to scene early Tuesday.

Kent Greene, director of Iredell County Fire Services and Emergency Management, said he was shocked by the extent of the damage.

"There could not be anyone left in it alive. That was my first thought.  And when I found out someone did walk out of it, I was amazed," Greene said. "We've had tornadoes in Iredell County before that have destroyed homes. This is the first (home) we've seen that actually exploded like, this with this kind of destruction. This was a 6,300-square-foot home. And there's nothing left but maybe a part of the garage."

Federal investigators have joined the inquiry into the explosion’s cause.