Before Dallas Cowboys player Marshawn Kneeland died at age 24 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, he faced a major family tragedy.
Kneeland dealt with the death of his mom, Wendy Kneeland, who passed away when he was preparing for the NFL draft. That's according to the Dallas News, which wrote extensively about the tragedy.
According to the newspaper, Kneeland was close to his mom, and he carried “the ashes of his mother, Wendy, in a vertically shaped urn, no bigger than 2 inches, on a chain around his neck."
“It was definitely tough,” Kneeland told the Dallas News of his mother's death. “I just managed it. She helped me a lot in my younger years getting into football. 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's own cause of death is tragic and was confirmed by the Texas Department of Public Safety, according to Sports Illustrated.
Additional concerning details are coming out, with TMZ reporting that dispatch audio indicates he texted family members goodbye and said he would "end it all" while armed. His girlfriend had contacted authorities after receiving a "concerning" message.
"A man was found deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound following an outside agency vehicle pursuit that led to a multi-agency search in Frisco," Frisco, TX wrote in a statement, naming Kneeland.
The team announced his death on November 6 in a statement on its website.
"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," the Cowboys' statement reads.
The Dallas News reported that Wendy Kneeland "took her son to football practices and games. Son told mom about his goals of reaching the NFL and signing a Division I scholarship." She died "unexpectedly," the newspaper reported in 2024.
His agent Jonathan Perzley told TMZ, "I watched him fight his way from a hopeful kid at Western Michigan with a dream of being a respected professional for the Dallas Cowboys. 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."