Staff report
The Lake Tuscaloosa home of pro football player Rolando McClain of the Dallas Cowboys burned to the ground Monday evening.
No one was home at the time, and no injuries occurred in fighting the blaze at the lakefront mansion, said Fire Chief Tom Clarke of the Carroll's Creek Volunteer Fire Department.
Tuscaloosa County property records show McClain's residence was at 15139 Waters Edge Drive.
The fire was spotted at about 6 p.m., and Clarke said the entire house was well engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, making it impossible to save. The Tuscaloosa Fire and Rescue Service also responded and helped fight the fire, preventing it from possibly spreading to neighboring properties. A call to the Tuscaloosa battalion chief who was at the scene was not immediately returned last night.
The mansion was McClain's off-season home. He reportedly was not in the state on Monday.
Clarke said it is too early to say what might have caused the fire. He said the fire marshal has been called in to investigate. He said someone reported seeing someone near the home before the fire but that it is unknown if that person might have knowledge that could help the investigation.
McClain, a native of Decatur, was a star linebacker at the University of Alabama, playing for head football coaches Mike Shula and Nick Saban. In the 2009 season, he won the Dick Butkus Award, given to a college linebacker. He also was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and he helped the Crimson Tide win the BCS National Championship in January 2010.
McClain chose to enter the 2010 NFL draft and was a first-round pick of the Oakland Raiders. He was the eighth player picked overall and was sign to a $40 million five-year contract.
In April 2013, the Raiders released McClain and he was picked up five days later by the Baltimore Ravens. He announced plans to retire about a month later and never played for the Ravens.
He said then that he wanted to complete his degree at UA and straighten out his life, after a divorce and several arrests in Decatur.
In July, the 25-year-old McClain came out of retirement to join the Cowboys, making a comeback this season.
https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1718425
The Lake Tuscaloosa home of pro football player Rolando McClain of the Dallas Cowboys burned to the ground Monday evening.
No one was home at the time, and no injuries occurred in fighting the blaze at the lakefront mansion, said Fire Chief Tom Clarke of the Carroll's Creek Volunteer Fire Department.
Tuscaloosa County property records show McClain's residence was at 15139 Waters Edge Drive.
The fire was spotted at about 6 p.m., and Clarke said the entire house was well engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, making it impossible to save. The Tuscaloosa Fire and Rescue Service also responded and helped fight the fire, preventing it from possibly spreading to neighboring properties. A call to the Tuscaloosa battalion chief who was at the scene was not immediately returned last night.
The mansion was McClain's off-season home. He reportedly was not in the state on Monday.
Clarke said it is too early to say what might have caused the fire. He said the fire marshal has been called in to investigate. He said someone reported seeing someone near the home before the fire but that it is unknown if that person might have knowledge that could help the investigation.
McClain, a native of Decatur, was a star linebacker at the University of Alabama, playing for head football coaches Mike Shula and Nick Saban. In the 2009 season, he won the Dick Butkus Award, given to a college linebacker. He also was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and he helped the Crimson Tide win the BCS National Championship in January 2010.
McClain chose to enter the 2010 NFL draft and was a first-round pick of the Oakland Raiders. He was the eighth player picked overall and was sign to a $40 million five-year contract.
In April 2013, the Raiders released McClain and he was picked up five days later by the Baltimore Ravens. He announced plans to retire about a month later and never played for the Ravens.
He said then that he wanted to complete his degree at UA and straighten out his life, after a divorce and several arrests in Decatur.
In July, the 25-year-old McClain came out of retirement to join the Cowboys, making a comeback this season.
https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1718425
