Audio By Carbonatix
Late Monday night, Rolando McClain’s house went up in flames. The $1.5 million, 7,500 square foot home located in a tony neighborhood on Lake Tuscaloosa in Alabama was unoccupied, but was destroyed by the fire.
Alabama officials initially said that any fire involving a vacant, expensive home is suspicious. Now, on Tuesday morning, the Tuscaloosa Sheriff’s Department tells ESPN that a car was seen speeding out of the neighborhood just after the fire started.
A crime dog will be used to see if an accelerant helped start the fire, the sheriff’s department said.
McClain has been a revelation for the Cowboys this year, serving as a badly needed anchor in the middle of the defense as Sean Lee missed the entirety of 2014 with a knee injury. The former first-round pick signed with Dallas before the season after having retired twice while battling a series of personal demons including a July conviction for resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.
When news happens, Dallas Observer is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If the Dallas Observer matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
After his first retirement, he returned to Tuscaloosa to re-enroll at the University of Alabama, where he was an all-SEC linebacker and national champion. Much of his recent personal history was held in the burned out house, something he lamented Tuesday morning on Twitter.
Neither McClain nor the Cowboys have commented about the fire.
