Former Kentucky star Randall Cobb, family ‘lucky to be alive’ after house fire

Veteran NFL wide receiver and former University of Kentucky star Randall Cobb and his family escaped a house fire this week in Nashville, Tenn.

A fire began in the family’s garage at about 11 p.m. local time Tuesday, the Nashville Fire Department said.

Cobb’s wife, Aiyda Cobb, posted to Instagram that a Tesla charger caught fire and flames spread through the home.

She wrote that the couple and their three young sons “are lucky to be alive.” An accompanying video showed burned cars and extensive damage to the garage.

“We got out of the house with nothing but the clothes on our back and no shoes on our feet,” she continued.

Randall Cobb shared that he was able to return to the house to rescue the family’s dog. He thanked the firefighters “for their swift action.”

“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,” Randall Cobb, a Tennessee native, shared on social media.

Cobb, 33, is currently a free agent after spending the 2023 season with the New York Jets.

He has recorded 630 receptions for 7,624 yards and 54 touchdowns in 166 games (88 starts) with the Green Bay Packers (2011-18, 2021-22), Dallas Cowboys (2019), Houston Texans (2020) and Jets.

Cobb played at Kentucky from 2008-10, excelling as a quarterback, wide receiver and kickoff return specialist.

Cobb rushed for 1,313 yards and 22 touchdowns, passed for 689 yards and five TDs and caught 144 passes for 1,661 yards and 13 scores across three seasons. He also scored two touchdowns on punt returns.

Cobb, a second-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Packers, was inducted in 2022 into the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 2017, Cobb was named to the UK Athletics Hall of Fame in celebration of his All-America and All-Southeastern Conference career.