Marshawn Kneeland’s mother died the year before he did

The professional football player died by suicide today. His mother, Wendy, died of an undisclosed illness in 2024.

Marshawn Kneeland, the 24-year-old Dallas Cowboys football player who died by suicide, had also lost his mother last year.

The Dallas Morning News first reported in June of last year that Kneeland wore a chain around his neck that carried the ashes of his mother, Wendy, in a small urn. She died of an undisclosed illness on February 18, 2024, just two months before Kneeland was selected as a second-round draft pick to the Dallas Cowboys.

“It was definitely tough,” he told the newspaper. “I just managed it.

Kneeland then said that his mother helped him to achieve his dream, which was to get to the NFL. She took him to practices and games, and supported him when his path to the league seemed uncertain. The Grand Rapids, Michigan native had been recruited to play at Western Michigan University, and later transferred to Colorado University to increase his chance of getting to the next level.

“She helped me a lot in my younger years getting into football,” he 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 was just a year into his realized dream when he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after being involved in a police chase in Frisco, Texas late Wednesday night.

At approximately 10:30 p.m., Frisco police attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation, but the driver, Kneeland, failed to stop. When police found the vehicle later, it had been abandoned after being involved in a crash. After searching the area for the driver, they found Kneeland dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The Dallas Cowboys confirmed Kneeland’s death in a statement today.

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