At Personal Crossroads, Carolina Panthers’ Caleb Farley Discovers Path Forward with Maiden (NC) Blue Devils

Farley's brief stint as a high school football coach, after he was cut by the Tennessee Titans last year, with helping put his NFL career back on track

Carolina Panthers' cornerback Caleb Farley credits a brief stint as an assistant coach at Maiden High in North Carolina with providing a necessary reset that led to his return to the NFL. / George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – Looking up from his dressing room chair, Carolina Panthers defensive back Caleb Farley became an interested spectator of teammate Mike Jackson playing an intense, post-practice game of ping-pong.

When the match ended, Farley walked over to Jackson and shared a few tips on how to put spin on his serves. The 2021 NFL first-round draft pick then walked to the other end of the locker-room table to give his pupil first-hand knowledge of his instruction, with a bit of showmanship. Farley tossed the ping-pong ball up and allowed it to bounce off the carpeted floor before spinning a serve Jackson had trouble handling.

After returning to his locker, Farley was asked if he was a natural educator. He shrugged.

“I wouldn’t say I’m a teacher or anything like that,” Farley said with a grin. “I feel I’ve been blessed with a lot of experiences I’m hoping to share.”

He backed up his words when he had an opportunity late last summer, returning to his hometown to help coach at Maiden (N.C.) High School.

The time also helped him “reset” mentally after a recent tragedy.

#NFL DB Caleb Farley explains why he spent three weeks coaching the Maiden (N.C.) Blue Devils before joining ⁦@Panthers⁩ … pic.twitter.com/Eo4BeA97EL

— Jeff Hawkins (@WriterHawkins) December 10, 2024

Caleb Farley looks to give back to Maiden

After helping Jackson with his serve following practice Dec. 4, Farley started rehashing the experiences he shared with the players at his alma mater. The move came after his release from the Tennessee Titans on NFL cutdown day last August. Taking time for himself, Farley stepped away from professional football and focused on getting back to his roots.

“A reset? Yeah,” said Farley, who missed the entire 2023 season because of a back injury and all but four games as a rookie after suffering a knee injury. 

While still dealing emotionally with the August 2023 death of his father following an explosion at his Mooresville, North Carolina, residence, Farley shut down all NFL workouts for a month.

“I was trying to get my mind ready for whatever is going to come,” he said.

What immediately came next was a spot on the Blue Devils’ coaching staff, in part instructing the defensive backs and wide receivers. 

“I have good relations with Maiden High School football,” Farley said, explaining his reasons for initially reaching out to head coach Will Byrne. “Just to be able to relax and enjoy football. Give back to the community and help kids ... help the young men, I should say.

“Try to share some of the stuff I’ve learned: techniques, fundamentals and real-life advice.”

Byrne praised Farley for the difference he made during his three-week stint as an on-field instructor during the early weeks of the 2024 campaign, which ended with the Blue Devils (8-4) falling in the second round of the NCHSAA 2A West playoffs. 

“He came to practice every day and the players were like sponges,” Byrne said Monday. “He loves football and he loves Maiden football. He’s a down-to-earth human being.

“(The players) were young when he played here and he’s like an idol to them. They listened to everything he said.”

Farley returned to NFL ‘full of passion’

While helping Byrne with the Blue Devils and reconnecting with members of his family following the tragic death of his father, Farley continued his conditioning, keeping an eye on the opening weeks of the NFL season.

He just needed some time.

Farley’s father, Robert, died when his house was destroyed due to a natural gas explosion, Iredell (N.C.) County Fire Marshal’s officials reported.

The brief time away from the NFL and the subsequent moments with his family and extended relationships with Maiden’s football program appeared to help Farley emotionally. When he signed with the Panthers on Oct. 1, he said the experiences, “helped me a lot just to be motivated, full of passion for football.”

Since joining the Panthers, Farley, who missed last Sunday’s 22-16 loss to the host Philadelphia Eagles with a shoulder injury, has appeared in five games, registering eight tackles. He has developed into a special-teams ace who provided Byrne with a recent coaching opportunity.

In the fourth quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Dec. 1, Farley earned a flag for retaliating. The penalty yardage didn’t play into the outcome of the Panthers’ 26-23 overtime loss at Bank of America Stadium, but “it could have,” Byrne said with a laugh.

Byrne, who attended the NFC South contest, caught up with his protege after the game.

“He said the guy was grabbing him and pulling him down to the field,” he said, who responded like most coaches after watching Farley rise from the ground and push back post-whistle. “They always get the second guy.”

After returning to the NFL, Farley continues playing tribute to his father.

When he made the 30-plus miles from Maiden to Charlotte to attend his first workout last fall, the Panthers offered the No. 31 jersey for him to don. It was a special moment.

“That was my father’s number all through high school,” Farley said on Oct. 3. “It’s kind of a delight in your heart.

“I know my cousins enjoyed me getting 31.”

After discovering a path forward at Maiden, Farley has one overwhelming goal for the rest of the season.

“I’ve been trying to get better,” he said, “work hard and try to earn the respect of my coaches and teammates.”

Former Maiden (N.C.) Blue Devils standout Caleb Farley joined ⁦@Panthers⁩ 53-man roster Monday … pic.twitter.com/id5oO5zdHf

— Jeff Hawkins (@WriterHawkins) November 22, 2024