NFL wide receiver Randall Cobb, family escape house fire in Tennessee
Veteran NFL wide receiver Randall Cobb and his family were able escape from a fire at their home near Nashville.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Veteran NFL wide receiver Randall Cobb says he and his family were able to escape a fire at their home in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville earlier this week.
The fire began around 11 p.m. CDT on Tuesday, authorities say.
According to the Nashville Fire Department, the fire started in the garage and crews arrived to find the flames coming from the back of the home. Crews extinguished the fire but property inside the garage, including an electric vehicle, was destroyed or heavily damaged.
Cobb posted images of the fire's aftermath on social media, saying his family is lucky to be alive.
He shared images of what appears to be their garage, showing charred walls, ash-covered items and a vehicle with melted features.
Cobb, 33, said in the post that he even ran back into the burning home to save the family's dog, Louie. In his post, he profusely thanked the Nashville Fire Department and firefighters who responded to the scene.
"Unfortunately, we don't know how much, if anything, will be salvageable, but this has been a reminder that nothing is more important than the health of our family. We are grateful for our incredible community in Nashville, and the support from our close friends that have given us a temporary roof over our heads and shoulders to lean on."
Cobb's wife, Aiyda, posted that the family's Tesla charger caught fire and quickly spread. The family had to get out of the home with nothing but the clothes on their back, she said.
Cobb, a Tennessee native, is currently a free agent after last playing with the New York Jets. After playing college football at Kentucky, Cobb was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
He spent eight seasons with the Packers before playing one season each with the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans. In 2021, he returned to the Packers, then followed quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the Jets in 2023.