The NFL is asking teams to hold a moment of silence before their games on Sunday, November 9, to honor the late Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland.
The league sent out a memo to all 32 teams on Friday, November 8, according to ESPN.
The moment of silence will be followed by public-address announcers reading a message, saying, “If you or someone you know is struggling or needs emotional support, please call or text 988. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24-7 to help.”
Kneeland died by suicide on Thursday, November 6, following a police chase earlier in the night. He was 24. According to a Frisco police press release, the officers initially lost Kneeland’s car and later found it crashed on the Dallas Parkway. Police say they then used K-9 and drone units to attempt to find Kneeland.
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During their search, they were told he had expressed “suicidal ideations,” according to the release.
“It is with extreme sadness that the Dallas Cowboys share that Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away this morning,” the Cowboys wrote in a statement on Thursday. “Marshawn was a beloved teammate and member of our organization. Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his girlfriend Catalina and his family.”
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the passing of Cowboys’ Marshawn Kneeland,” the NFL said in a statement of its own. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his girlfriend Catalina, family, friends and his teammates. We have been in contact with the Cowboys and have offered support and counseling resources.”
In the days since Kneeland’s tragic death, there has been an outpouring of support from players around the NFL, including former teammates Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons.
“I hurt. Heavy, heavy heart today. I hurt for Marshawn, I hurt for his family,” Prescott told CBS Sports Texas on Thursday. “I hurt for his girlfriend, I hurt for every single one of my teammates.”
Prescott continued: “This is a pain you don’t wish upon anybody. You wish none of us had to go through this. You wish Marshawn didn’t have to go through what he went through.”
“Marshawn’s a guy who loved his anime, loved his video games, like anybody else,” said Parsons on Friday. “To me, he always showed me nothing but respect from the moment he came into the locker room … He respected me as a player. He respected me as a person, so I have nothing but high respect for him. If there’s anything his family needs, I’ll be the first person to help or offer anything I can. I just hope that he finds his peace and his family finds his peace in the situation.”
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On Thursday, Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones talked to Us Weekly about the tragic loss, encouraging everyone to “always check on each other.”
“As a man, you don’t talk about it as much or you suppress the feeling,” Jones exclusively told Us Weekly. “Just knowing that there’s people out there that care about you and there’s help for you, we’re each other’s keepers.”
He continued: “It’s unfortunate. We talked about it as a team. Just gotta love on your brothers. Always check on each other. You never know what somebody’s going through.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
