Titans’ Caleb Farley Speaks Out After Dad Is Killed in Home Explosion: ‘Wasn’t Supposed to Go Out Like This’

Robert Farley died late Monday night in an explosion at the NFL player's home in North Carolina

Tennessee Titans player Caleb Farley is mourning the death of his father Robert this week, calling him a “legend” in a social media post sharing footage from a memorial gathering Tuesday.

Robert Farley died late Monday night when his son’s suburban North Carolina mansion exploded unexpectedly. He was 61.

Kent Greene, the director of the Iredell County Emergency Management, told PEOPLE on Tuesday that Farley, 24, was not home at the time.

Farley shared an Instagram story showing dozens and dozens of people gathered at a memorial for his father. “Daddy you a legend,” Farley wrote alongside one clip of a man giving a speech. “I love you [for life].”

In another story, Farley wrote: “You wasn’t suppose to go out like this pop.”

The Titans cornerback shared two more photos of his father, as well.

Related: Tennessee Titans' Caleb Farley's Father Dead in Explosion at Family's Home: 'An Unimaginable Tragedy'

Farley told WCNC on Tuesday that he received a call from a neighbor shortly after the explosion occurred overnight. He was in Nashville at the time and rushed home on the first flight he could find.

“I was really emotional,” the NFL star said. “It’s just been a hectic rollercoaster of a ride. And not only today, but just for me in the past five years, period.”

Farley’s mother died from breast cancer in 2019.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Aerial footage taken by the local Queen City News appeared to show his $2 million, 6,000-square foot home completely decimated from the blast. Another man survived the explosion and was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the Iredell County Emergency Management.

“I can’t believe it,” neighbor Clay Wild told Queen City News. The neighbor said he heard “a loud boom” roughly five minutes before midnight, late Monday night.

Authorities said there was a strong smell of natural gas when they arrived at the property, which is located along Lake Norman – roughly 25 miles from where Farley grew up in Maiden, North Carolina.

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel and several teammates spoke with reporters after the team’s practice Tuesday, sharing their love and concern for Farley and his family.

Titans safety Kevin Byard told reporters he texted Farley this morning after he heard the news, according to video of a post-practice interview shared by reporter Kayla Anderson.

"It's just very tragic," Byard said. "As a team and as a brother, all we can do and all I can do is try to be there for him. It's going to be tough. It's an unimaginable tragedy."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.