The NFL world continues to mourn the loss of Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland, who died earlier this week in an apparent suicide. The 24-year-old was found dead in Texas late Wednesday night after a brief police pursuit.
According to law enforcement, he appeared to have taken his own life following a vehicle crash and subsequent foot chase near Dallas. His sudden and tragic death has left teammates, fans, and the broader football community in shock.
Kneeland, a second-year player out of Western Michigan, was considered a rising talent for the Cowboys. His untimely passing has reignited conversations about mental health in sports and the personal struggles that athletes often face away from the field.
We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the passing of Cowboys’ Marshawn Kneeland.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his girlfriend Catalina, family, friends and his teammates. pic.twitter.com/4kowniiC0c
— NFL (@NFL) November 6, 2025
In the aftermath of his death, a heartbreaking layer to Kneeland’s story has come to light. The New York Post reported that Kneeland had endured a family tragedy less than two years earlier, the loss of his mother, Wendy Kneeland.
They revealed that Wendy’s death, which occurred in early 2024, was the result of an accidental overdose. This revelation adds painful context to the emotional weight Kneeland may have been carrying in recent years.
“The Cowboys defensive lineman lost his mother, Wendy, to an accidental overdose less than two years before he took his own life at just 24 years old,” the New York Post reported.
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According to the New York Post, Kneeland reportedly spoke at his mother’s wake in March of last year. The report notes that he had been open about how much her loss had affected him and how deeply she had shaped his life and career.
His mother’s passing occurred just months before he was drafted into the NFL, a period that should have been defined by triumph but instead was marked by profound grief.
Marshawn Kneeland Spoke On the Impact of His Mother’s Death
Wendy’s sudden death came just weeks before one of the biggest milestones of his young life. She never had the chance to see him officially achieve his dream of reaching the NFL. Months after being drafted by Dallas, Kneeland discussed how difficult her loss had been to process.
He explained that his mother had been central to his love for football, helping him stay focused through high school and college. Even after her passing, he said he continued to feel her presence and carried an urn containing her ashes wherever he went.
“It was definitely tough,” Kneeland told Dallas News. “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.”
As a player, he had earned Second Team All-MAC honors at Western Michigan in 2023 before entering the NFL. During his rookie season with the Cowboys, he appeared in 11 games, starting once.
In 2025, he had already played in seven games and started three, showing growth and potential on a defense filled with veterans. The tragedy of Marshawn Kneeland’s death now carries even deeper emotional weight. The new revelations surrounding his mother’s passing underscore the immense personal loss he endured long before his own life ended far too soon.
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