FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys community is reeling from the tragic loss of defensive end Marshawn Kneeland. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer addressed the media on Wednesday, revealing the profound impact Kneeland’s death has had on the team. “Our hearts remain heavy,” Schottenheimer shared, noting how the team continues to process their grief through shared memories and emotions.
Reflecting on the aftermath of the loss during their bye week, Schottenheimer stated, “We don’t move on, but we do move forward.” He emphasized the unique challenge of navigating such an emotional event without a guide, underscoring the importance of being a pillar of strength for the team. “This is where our team’s culture shines through,” he remarked, highlighting the unity that has emerged in these trying times.
Kneeland’s death followed a distressing series of events. Frisco police reported that the 24-year-old was found deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after failing to stop for a traffic violation and subsequently leading officers on a chase. The tragic discovery was made approximately three hours after Kneeland fled the scene of a crash on foot.
In the wake of the tragedy, the Cowboys have been focused on healing. While the team had a scheduled day off on Wednesday, they spent the preceding days in meetings and breakout sessions with grief counselors. These sessions aimed to provide support and understanding during such a difficult time. On Tuesday night, a private candlelight vigil was held at the team’s headquarters. It was a moment of collective remembrance, with heartfelt tributes from team owner Jerry Jones, Coach Schottenheimer, Kneeland’s girlfriend, his agent, and his high school coach.
In a gesture of support for Kneeland’s family, Schottenheimer announced the establishment of a memorial fund aimed at providing for Kneeland’s pregnant girlfriend and their unborn child. “It’s crucial to ensure they are cared for, now and in the future,” Schottenheimer affirmed, emphasizing the team’s commitment to supporting the family left behind.
Schottenheimer said Wednesday that a memorial fund had been started to support Kneeland’s pregnant girlfriend and their unborn child “to make sure she’s taken care of and the baby’s taken care of for the rest of their lives.”
The Cowboys will wear decals on their helmets the rest of the season in memory of Kneeland, and have special T-shirts at least for the next couple of games. They play Monday night at the Las Vegas Raiders, then have their next home game against Philadelphia on Nov. 23, when there will be a pregame moment of silence and a video tribute to Kneeland.
While coaches worked on game plans Wednesday, which Schottenheimer called a positive distraction, the players will be back on the practice field Thursday.
“We have to work back to a regular routine. That’s what we’re going to do. We will move forward,” Schottenheimer said. “The one benefit of playing on Monday night is we’ve been given a little more time to grieve. That grieving process is not over. There’s going to be things that affect us differently throughout the next couple weeks, but we understand our best way to honor Marshawn on the field is how we play. That’s something we get to control, and I think the guys are excited about that.”
Cowboys defensive lineman Solomon Thomas, in a story posted on the team’s website, described the team’s first time back together Monday as “extremely impactful, extremely emotional.”
Thomas and quarterback Dak Prescott, both of whom had siblings who died by suicide and have foundations supporting suicide awareness and prevention, had addressed the team during a virtual team meeting last Thursday in the hours after Kneeland’s death. Thomas’ sister, Ella, was the same age as Kneeland.
Schottenheimer’s availability came a week after the team last practiced, which occurred two days after Kneeland scored a touchdown when recovering a blocked punt in a Monday night loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The coach recalled seeing Kneeland’s excitement after that big play.
Asked if there was something that was missed or could have been done to prevent Kneeland’s death, Schottenheimer said those are natural questions.
“You try not to think about them, but when you’re having very open and authentic conversations with these guys, the pain is real, the questions are real,” he said. “The more you talk to the experts, the people that deal with this all the time, they say a lot of times you’re never going to know. But I’d be lying if I said to you I don’t wake up in the middle of the night, or when I’m on the phone talking to one of those guys, have those thoughts. You do.”
In his first public comments about Kneeland’s death, Jones said on his weekly radio show Tuesday that everyone is sharing the sorrow.
“All are having to share the different ways or different things that come through your mind,” Jones said. “The very definition of team is we love each other, we rely on each other. Everybody expects that, boy, it’s a rough game, it takes some real mental toughness to play the game, but in fact there’s a lot of love for each other there that is shared in rather unique ways, and you get to know each other pretty good.”
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