Cowboys Marshawn Kneeland dies of apparent

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland has died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police in Frisco, Texas, said Thursday. He was 24.

“It is with extreme sadness that the Dallas Cowboys share that Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away this morning,” the Cowboys said in a assertion. “Marshawn was a beloved teammate and member of our organization. Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his girlfriend Catalina and his family.”

The Frisco Police Department said it was called at roughly 10:39 p.m. Wednesday to help the Texas Department of Public Safety to discover a vehicle that had entered town during a pursuit. The state-level law-enforcement company said in a assertion Thursday that it had tried to stop the vehicle for a site visitors violation, but the motive force had refused to stop.

The vehicle was soon discovered unoccupied, crashed on southbound Dallas Parkway close to Warren Parkway. A person — later recognized as Kneeland, a resident of close by Plano — was reported to have fled the scene on foot.

Frisco police have been told during the search that Kneeland had expressed “suicidal ideations,” the division said in a assertion. Police dispatch audio from the incident, posted Thursday by GWN, revealed that Kneeland had despatched out a group textual content to say goodbye to his household and that police looking in the darkish had used thermal imaging to help find him.

“Kneeland was later located at 1:31a.m., deceased with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.,” Fresno police said in a assertion. “The cause/manner of death will be determined by the Collin County Medical Examiner’s Office.”

The Plano Police Department had visited Kneeland’s residence at the request of Frisco police at 11 p.m. Wednesday evening but officers have been unable to make contact with anybody there. At 11:40 p.m., Plano police said, officers responded to a separate call for a welfare concern related with Kneeland at the same tackle, but again have been unable to make contact.

Kneeland was chosen by the Cowboys out of Western Michigan in the second spherical of the 2024 draft, less than three months after his mom, Wendy Kneeland, died instantly of an undisclosed sickness. Kneeland told the Dallas Morning News last 12 months that he carried some of his mom’s ashes with him in every single place in a tiny urn on a chain around his neck.

“She helped me a lot in my younger years getting into football,” Kneeland said. “I always had the dream. I always told her, ‘I’m going to the NFL’ and I made it. It’s a hard situation just knowing she got to see me potentially going to the NFL and going through [the process]. She’s still with me. I got this urn of her ashes I carry with me everywhere. I still feel like she’s there watching over me.”

Kneeland performed in 18 video games, including 4 begins, and had 26 tackles, 4 quarterback hits and one sack. On Monday evening against the Arizona Cardinals, Kneeland recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for his first NFL landing.

“I watched him fight his way from a hopeful kid at Western Michigan with a dream to being a respected professional for the Dallas Cowboys,” Kneeland’s agent, Jonathan Perzley, said in a assertion. “Marshawn poured his heart into every snap, every practice, and every moment on the field. To lose someone with his talent, spirit, and goodness is a pain I can hardly put into words.”

Kneeland’s household also launched a assertion Thursday.

“We are devastated by this tremendous loss and are still processing the depth of our grief,” the household said. “As Marshawn was making his mark on the football field with the Dallas Cowboys, he held an even more special place off the field — as a devoted son, brother, uncle, cousin, nephew, grandson, and friend. He was kind, determined, humble, and full of love. His light shone brightly in every life he touched, and his spirit will continue to live on through the countless hearts he inspired.”