The Tennessee Titans prayed in training for the father of teammate Caleb Farley, who died in a house explosion Monday night.
Farley’s father Robert died in the explosion that caused the NFL star’s $2million home to collapse in North Carolina.
Robert Farley, 61, was found as crew searched through rubble of the building. His tragic death comes nearly six years after Caleb’s mother, Robin, died in January 2018 of breast cancer at the age of 53.
Farley, 24, was filmed at the scene of the explosion on Tuesday morning, while his Titans teammates continued preseason training.
However, the franchise still had Farley in their minds as the team and staff members knelt in prayer on the training field.
Caleb Farley’s father Robert has died after a house collapsed in North Carolina late on Monday – nearly six years after his mother Robin died of cancer when she was only 53
Caleb Farley, pictured at the scene after a house he owned in North Carolina collapsed
The entire was filmed by Fox Tennessee huddled in a circle, taking the knee.
Farley’s teammates also paid tribute to him and his father following the training session.
Titans running back Derrick Henry said of Farley on Tuesday morning: ‘I’m praying for Caleb. He was one of the last ones in the locker room last night, just hanging around.
‘I don’t want to talk too much about it, I don’t know all the details. I’m praying for him, praying for his family. We all send our condolences. A tragic situation.’
Another teammate, Kevin Byard, said: ‘I texted him this morning to say I’m thinking about him. Caleb’s a big believer, he has a lot of faith and I told him to lean into his faith as hard as he could.
‘I know he lost his mother at a young age as well, he has dealt with a lot of adversity. It’s very tragic.
‘As a team, as a brother, all I can do is be there for him. It’s going to be tough. It’s an unimaginable tragedy.
‘Last year I lost my mother in camp and the only advice I can give to anybody going through something like that is to lean into your faith.
Robert Farley (left) was 61 when he died while another person was injured in the explosion
Farley sits and surveys the damage and devastation after a shocking accident for his family
A car is seen under the rubble – the explosion has been described as being like ‘Armageddon’
A picture of the home, owned by the NFL and Titans star, before it had collapsed
Farley, who is 24, has previously said that his late mother had instilled his faith into him
Titans running back Derrick Henry said he was praying for his teammate and his family
‘I felt in a very dark place for a while. Know that God don’t make any mistakes, as tough as it sounds and as tough as it can be. You have to lean into that, you can fall into a really dark place.’
Mike Vrabel, the Titans coach, said: ‘What is important is that we do everything we can to support Caleb and his family. We’ll do everything we can.’
‘Caleb’s one of the guys that I consider one of my closest friends on the team,’ Titans cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting said. ‘It’s a tragic situation, and I feel for him and his family. I’ll make sure to reach out to him and lend a helping hand as needed.’
The explosion reportedly happened just before midnight on Monday evening and left another person injured.
Christian Rogers, 25, was found exiting the collapsed structure by first responders.
Rogers, a friend of the family, was transported to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte with a concussion. He is awake and alert but has not yet been discharged.
Neighbors were quoted as saying by QCN that they smelt gas around the time of the explosion.
Neighbor Pete Schuerger said to WBTV.com: ‘It was like Armageddon. There was insulation coming out of the air like snow, bricks down the street hundreds of feet away, pieces of wood. Pretty devastating to see that big explosion.’
Mike Vrabel, the Titans coach said the franchise will do all it can to support Farley
Farley has been recovering from back surgery that ended his 2022 Titans season early
‘The 6,391 square foot home is a total loss,’ Iredell County Emergency Management said in a news release, quoted by USA Today.
Authorities are yet to give an official cause of the explosion with an investigation underway.
Pictures from the scene show that the property in Mooresville has been reduced to rubble.
The house was listed for $2million in 2022 and built in 2016. It had four bedrooms and four bathrooms.
Farley, a native of Maiden, North Carolina, is a cornerback for the Titans and was drafted in 2021, having played for Virginia Tech at college.