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David Newton, ESPN writer
HICKORY, N.C. – Bags of groceries were stacked at the front door of a modest brick home in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, about an hour northwest of Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
Inside, the rooms were in a chaotic state with unpacked boxes, paintings and mirrors waiting to be hung, and boxes of flooring waiting to replace the carpets that had not been torn out.
It’s far from the glamorous world one might imagine for the home of an NFL player accustomed to fancy cars and clothes, three years removed from being the Tennessee Titans’ 22nd overall draft pick, which came with a salary of $13,945. million fully guaranteed.
But it is here, the family home where Caleb Farley grew up, and became a local phenomenon as an all-state quarterback at nearby Maiden High, where he chose to rebuild his life and NFL career as a cornerback with Carolina. Panthers.
It is here, in suburban Hickory, where the 26-year-old is picking up the pieces of his life, shattered by the loss of his mother to breast cancer in 2018 and his father five years later to a gas leak explosion. gas an hour away. in the dream home that he paid for with his first NFL contract.
It’s here, as a member of Carolina’s practice squad, waiting to be elevated to the 53-man roster each week, still trying to regain the speed that used to separate him from other cornerbacks, where Farley focuses on faith and rebuilding. a football career that was halted by an ACL injury that ended his rookie season and back surgery in 2022 that sidelined him until 2023.
“It just feels good to be back,” he said. “I feel comfortable here.”
FARLEY MOVES HOME in early October after the Panthers (3-7) signed him to the practice squad the day after a workout. He was given number 31, the number his father wore in high school.
“It’s like a pleasant delight in the heart,” Farley said of Carolina’s gesture, “and I know that my uncles and cousins enjoyed being able to see me turn 31.”
The Panthers saw enough in his training to believe he was worth adding to the practice squad.
“You could see why he was drafted in the first round, the athleticism he showed, the way he can move his hips, change direction, the way he transitions, the way he can run,” the manager said. General Dan Morgan on Farley’s performance. training “It was really impressive.
“He’s had a lot of bad luck. I hope he’s happy.”
Farley had other workouts scheduled. He worked out for the New England Patriots on September 3 and was told he needed to get in better shape.
He was scheduled to fly to Kansas City on Sept. 30, and if that didn’t work out, he had a visit with the Falcons in Atlanta, followed by the Panthers.
Farley told his agent to cancel everything except Carolina.
“I just drove there and they signed me,” Farley said. “It was a blessing.”
The Panthers signed cornerback Caleb Farley this week and had No. 31 waiting for him. It was the number worn by his father, Robert Farley, who died in a house explosion near Charlotte last August, in high school, so it has special meaning. pic.twitter.com/7NadMMC8yi
– David Newton (@DNewtonespn) October 3, 2024
Farley has been elevated to the 53-man roster the last three games and had a season-high 23 snaps (13 corner, 10 special teams) in Sunday’s 20-17 overtime win against the New York Giants in Munich, Germany.
The Panthers, like many other teams heading into the 2021 draft, were trying to decide between Farley, Jaycee Horn and Pat Surtain II as the best cornerbacks.
The Panthers selected Horn with the eighth pick. Surtain went to the Denver Broncos at No. 9. Farley, who went to Virginia Tech as a wide receiver before switching to cornerback as a redshirt freshman, fell to the Titans at No. 22.
“Those three guys were very, very good prospects,” said Carolina defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who was with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021.
“So that’s the kind of talent this kid has. Obviously, things haven’t gone his way, especially from an injury standpoint. But it’s never too late.”
OF ALL THE Things that have impacted Farley’s life, August 22, 2023, was the hardest.
His father, Robert M. Farley, had moved to the Mooresville home, about 30 miles north of Charlotte, because he found it difficult to live in Hickory without his wife.
Then the unthinkable.
According to the director of Iredell County Fire Services, gas apparently leaked into the home for a long period of time before an ignition source was found. The explosion disintegrated the house and killed the 61-year-old man, whom Caleb described in an Instagram post: “Dad, you are a legend, I love you 4L.”
Farley now wears a locket around his neck with a photo of his parents taken on senior night.
It reminds him of his parents every day, just like sleeping in his parents’ room at home does.
“I just accept that they’re in a better place than me and they’re happy,” Farley said.
FIFTEEN MILES AWAY In Newton, North Carolina, Robert’s brother, Elijah Farley, also known as Uncle Chunk, cuts hair at Superior Barber Styling Center. It’s a business that started with Caleb’s father.
It is also a shrine to Caleb, highlighted by a giant image of Caleb, Robert, Elijah and Caleb’s older brother, Joshua Farley, in front of the Nashville, Tennessee skyline.
“We didn’t know this would be the last time my brother and I would be together in Tennessee,” Elijah said.
Elijah was among a large group of family and friends in Charlotte three weeks ago to cheer on Caleb in his first home game with the Panthers. Caleb is an inspiration to them now, just as he was in high school when his speed helped him gain 2,574 yards and 37 touchdowns as a senior.
“I feel like God allowed him to be right where he needs to be,” Elijah said.
Caleb is back with the people who kept him strong before he got caught up in the money, limelight, and sometimes partying lifestyle of the NFL.
“When you spend millions of dollars on clothes, shoes and jewelry, and watch them get blown up and lost, it can put things into perspective,” Caleb said, standing next to the pool his parents built when he was five. If I’m doing well financially, it would be very difficult for me to try to build a collection again.
“I’m not saying anything against the flashy lifestyle, because I like that stuff. I’m just happier with the way things are now.”
THE WOODEN FLOORS HAVE replaced most of the carpet in Farley’s house. The work he can’t do himself, he hires local people to do. It’s a slow process.
Rebuilding your career will also take time. He starts recovering his speed.
Farley clocked 24 mph in 2019 in a game against Virginia Tech, which was a mile per hour faster than Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill’s top in-game speed at the time. Farley recorded a 4.28 40-yard dash at his 2021 pro day.
“He was tremendously fast,” Horn recalled. “It’s still fast. It could be as fast as it was.”
Farley laughed, pointing to a foot that he said “stopped working” as a result of a disc injury suffered before the draft.
“I can do calf raises with the other foot,” he said, demonstrating. “It’s got some pop to it.” But here I have to work hard. It’s like a little delay.
“I used to have a lot of confidence in myself because of my speed. I set myself apart. After the injury, I felt naked. It’s been a crazy journey back.”
But it’s this journey that has inspired Farley’s teammates, past and present.
“I just appreciate the competitor he is and how he keeps pushing,” Horn said.
Titans safety Amani Hooker, who played three years with Farley, called the return incredible.
“A lot of people in that position probably would have retired or made some kind of mistake,” he said. “He always stayed true to his faith and true to who he was and what he could do on the field.” ‘
FARLEY FOUND the entrance to a small room near the front door of the house.
“This will be a library with shelves all the way up with a ladder,” he said. “There’s going to be a little sitting area here. It’s going to be fine.”
Farley believes his career will too. He considers himself blessed. You won’t let life’s obstacles discourage you.
“I definitely think I can make plays in this league,” Farley said. “I don’t have the top speed I used to have, but I’m still fast.”
There is confidence in his voice. He feels as comfortable on the football field as he does in his childhood home.
“I love football,” Farley said. “Football gives you great emotions, it gives you great adrenaline. Flying around your teammates, with your brothers, creates great emotions inside you that I love to feel.
“So I plan to feel them as much as I can. What better place to do that than from home.”
ESPN Titans reporter Turron Davenport contributed to this story.
