Update 10:30 AM: The Texas Department of Public Safety and local DFW outlets announced that Kneeland had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, after an incident involving a police chase and subsequent car crash.
Update: Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that a spokesperson for the Plano Police Department said officers responded to a welfare check at his residence last night and did not make contact with anyone.
Original Story: The Dallas Cowboys have announced that Marshawn Kneeland, their 24-year-old defensive end, died early this morning.
There is no way around the shock and sadness of this tragedy: Kneeland was one of the youngest players on the Dallas roster, and his energy, team-driven mentality, and promising future made him a bright light in the organization.
On Monday, the former second-round pick scored the first touchdown of his career on a blocked punt; it is unimaginable that just a few days later, he would pass away.
Certainly, all of Cowboys Nation, and the NFL community, mourns the tremendous and stunning loss of Marshawn Kneeland. Here, we will remember his odds-defying, tremendous, and far too short life.
Remembering The Life of Marshawn Kneeland
Born to Wendy Kneeland on July 8th, 2001, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where the budding football star would ultimately reside and play up until his commitment to the Western Michigan Broncos.
By the end of his college career in Kalamazoo, Kneeland had become a star, but he started as an overlooked, under-recruited kid from Godwin Heights High School.
Western Michigan was his only D-1 offer, and the young man did not waste his opportunity.
He entered the 2024 NFL Draft cycle as a second-team All-MAC player, with 13 career college sacks and 27.5 tackles for loss. His stock was going through the roof in the build-up to the scouting combine, when he then lost his mother, Wendy.
In an interview with the Dallas Morning News, Kneeland credited his late mother with being the foundation of his football journey, and in the seasons that followed with Dallas, he wore a necklace containing her ashes.
While she never got to see her son take the field in the NFL, as he always told her he would, Kneeland certainly kept her memory alive with him as his journey continued into the pros.
Dallas selected Marshawn Kneeland with the 56th pick in the 2024 Draft and played in 11 games in his rookie campaign. This season, he emerged improved and motivated, recording his first career sack and touchdown in just seven games.
With his passing, the NFL journey and young life he was building ended, but his legacy and story will live on as one of perseverance and overcoming in the face of obstacles and tragedy.
We wish that his family, friends, teammates, and coaches find peace in this tragic situation, and that he may rest in eternal peace.
Ask 4 Help, & Reach Out To Loved Ones
The self-inflicted passing of a young sports star is a sobering reminder that we are all human, and nobody is immune to mental health struggles.
If you are struggling with anxiety, depression, or any form of emotional hardship, there are resources and people who will always assist in getting you through the darkest moments that we all inevitably face.
In the United States, you can call 988 to reach the 24/7, entirely free Suicide and Crisis hotline.
This tragedy should also remind us all to reach out to friends and family. If a 24-year-old who achieved his professional dream can go through a mental health crisis like this, anybody can.
Always check in with those you love, and always ask for help if you are going through hardship.
