Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland was involved in a police chase before his death by an apparent suicide on Thursday, November 6.
Police attempted to pull over Kneeland after an alleged traffic violation on the Dallas North Tollway around 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 5, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Officials said Kneeland refused to stop for authorities, which resulted in the chase. Police eventually lost track of Kneeland’s vehicle, bringing the brief pursuit to an end.
Kneeland’s abandoned vehicle was found minutes later after a crash on the Dallas Parkway. The NFL star is believed to have fled on foot, which resulted in a police search involving K9 units and drones.
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The body of the Cowboys star was found at 1:31 a.m. on Thursday, with a report from the Frisco Police Department indicating that Kneeland died by suicide. He was 24 years old.
At the time of the search, Kneeland’s girlfriend, Catalina, had called the police in fear for Kneeland’s well-being. In 911 audio obtained by TMZ Sports, a dispatcher reported that Catalina said Kneeland “had a history of mental illness.”
The Dallas Cowboys, who selected Kneeland in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, announced the lineman’s death on Thursday.
“It is with extreme sadness that the Dallas Cowboys share that Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away this morning,” the team said. “Marshawn was a beloved teammate and member of our organization. Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his girlfriend Catalina and his family.”
Lou Esposito, Kneeland’s former defensive coordinator at Western Michigan University, revealed that he and Kneeland had plans to meet up in the coming days.
“We were planning to get together this weekend during his visit back home,” Esposito said in a statement on Thursday. “Today’s news is absolutely devastating.”
The Cowboys are currently on a bye week, giving Kneeland the time to plan a trip home to Michigan. Esposito, who is now the defensive line coach at the University of Michigan, said he and Kneeland “just talked the other day.”
“I got to congratulate Marshawn on his first career touchdown on Monday night,” Esposito recalled. “My heart aches as that will be the last conversation that we have together. It’s hard to put into words how much Marshawn means to me and my family. He was family to us and we have so many fond memories of our time together.”
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Kneeland scored the first touchdown of his NFL career on Monday, November 3, when he recovered a blocked punt in the end zone during the Cowboys’ Monday Night Football game against the Arizona Cardinals.
Esposito added, “My thoughts and prayers are with his family and his girlfriend, Catalina. May Marshawn rest in heaven with his beloved mother.”
Kneeland’s mother, Wendy, died of an undisclosed illness in February 2024, just two months before he was drafted by the Cowboys.
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