Marshawn Kneeland, a defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys, died in the early hours of Thursday (6), after a police chase, according to US law enforcement authorities. He was 24 years old.
At approximately 10:40 pm local time on Wednesday, the Frisco Police Department sent officers to assist the Texas Department of Public Safety in locating a vehicle that had “fled from officers during a pursuit.”
According to the police department’s statement, officers briefly lost sight of the vehicle but discovered it had crashed in the southbound lane of Dallas Parkway.
According to police, the driver, later identified as Kneeland, fled the scene on foot. He was found at 1:31 a.m., the corporation says, with “what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
When contacted by the report, the Collin County coroner’s office did not respond.
“Marshawn was a teammate and a beloved member of our organization,” the Dallas Cowboys said. “Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his girlfriend, Catalina, and his family.”
Kneeland’s agent, Jonathan Perzley, posted a statement on social media. “I watched him fight as a hopeful kid at Western Michigan with a dream to become a respected pro for the Dallas Cowboys. Marshawn put his heart into every play, every practice and every moment on the field.”
Kneeland grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and set school records in tackles (the act of taking down an opponent and stopping his advance), yardage-loss tackles and “sacks” (the act of taking down the opponent’s quarterback behind the starting line) at Godwin Heights High School.
He played college football at Western Michigan University, where he recorded 149 tackles and 13 sacks. While preparing for the NFL draft, his mother, Wendy, died unexpectedly.
“It was difficult, I had a week to prepare,” he told The Dallas Morning News. “But I had to concentrate.”
Since her mother’s death, Kneeland had worn a necklace that contained some of her ashes.
He was selected by the Cowboys in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft, as the 56th overall pick. He played 18 games in the NFL, all for the Dallas team.
On Monday night (3), in a match against the Arizona Cardinals, Kneeland recovered a blocked punt and scored a touchdown, the most celebrated play in American football, worth six points. It was the first and only “touchdown” of his brief career.
