Caleb Farley is off to a serendipitous start in his new digs.
The 25-year-old cornerback, who signed on to the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad earlier this week, spoke with reporters after Thursday’s practice. And Farley, who entered a different NFL locker room for the first time in his career, had something special waiting for him . . .
When Caleb Farley signed with the Panthers this week, he was assigned No. 31. By coincidence, it was the high school number of his father Robert Farley, who died in a house explosion outside of Charlotte last August. pic.twitter.com/yc23vE1URG
— Joe Person (@josephperson) October 3, 2024
Robert M. Farley was killed in an explosion of Caleb’s Mooresville, N.C. house in August of 2023. The 61-year-old was believed to be in the bedroom of the home when the overnight blast occurred, one authorities concluded was caused by a gas leak.
Caleb, a Maiden, N.C. native, spent the first three years of his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans—who drafted the Virginia Tech standout with the 22nd overall pick of the 2021 draft. But Farley would have difficulty staying on the field, as knee and back injuries limited the talented defender to just 12 games between 2021 and 2023.
Hopefully for Farley, a bit of familiarity—both under his feet and on his back—will help breed some long-awaited success.
