Marshawn Kneeland
American football player (2001–2025)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marshawn Kneeland (July 8, 2001 – November 6, 2025) was an American professional football defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played two seasons with the Cowboys until his death in November 2025. Kneeland played college football for the Western Michigan Broncos, earning second-team Mid-American Conference (MAC) honors in 2023, and was selected by the Cowboys in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.
Frisco, Texas, U.S.
| No. 94 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Defensive end | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | July 8, 2001 Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Died | November 6, 2025 (aged 24)[1][2] Frisco, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 268 lb (122 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | Godwin Heights (Wyoming, Michigan) | ||||||||||||
| College | Western Michigan (2019–2023) | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2024: 2nd round, 56th overall pick | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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On November 6, 2025, Kneeland was found dead from a gunshot wound following a police pursuit hours prior. His death is being investigated as a suicide.
Early life
Marshawn Kneeland was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 8, 2001.[3][4] He attended Godwin Heights High School in Wyoming, Michigan.[5] He played linebacker and tight end in high school.[6] As a senior, he had 110 tackles and eight sacks on defense and 20 receptions for 330 yards and five touchdowns on offense. He committed to Western Michigan University to play college football.[7]
College career
Kneeland played for the Broncos at Western Michigan University from 2019 to 2023.[8][9][10] He was a second-team All-MAC selection in 2023.[11] During his career, he had 149 tackles and 12.5 sacks. He recorded three pass deflections and three forced fumbles.[12] Despite not being heavily recruited out of high school, Kneeland became a desirable prospect for the NFL and he received an invitation to NFL Scouting Combine.[13]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 267 lb (121 kg) | 34+1⁄2 in (0.88 m) | 9+1⁄8 in (0.23 m) | 6 ft 11+3⁄8 in (2.12 m) | 4.75 s | 1.66 s | 2.77 s | 4.18 s | 7.02 s | 35.5 in (0.90 m) | 9 ft 11 in (3.02 m) | 21 reps |
| All values from NFL Combine[14][15] | ||||||||||||
Kneeland was selected 56th overall in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys.
2024 season
In his rookie season, he appeared in 11 games with one start, recording 17 tackles (2 for loss), 13 quarterback pressures, one pass breakup and one fumble recovery.[16] He made his debut against the Cleveland Browns on September 8.[12] He made his first career start against the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 6, collecting 2 tackles before leaving the game with a right knee injury, that occurred while he was attempting to sack quarterback Justin Fields.[17] The injury required arthroscopic surgery and forced him to spend 5 weeks on injured reserve.[18]
2025 season
Following the departure of DeMarcus Lawrence in free agency, he was as a primary rotational player behind Dante Fowler. During training camp, Kneeland was viewed as a possible breakout player on the Cowboys,[18] intercepting quarterback Dak Prescott in a clip shared on Twitter, among other impact plays.[19] In early October, Kneeland was added to the injury report with an ankle injury he suffered during practice.[20] He later aggravated it in the Week 6 game against the Carolina Panthers. In Week 9, three days before his death, Kneeland scored his only NFL touchdown, after recovering a blocked punt in the end zone against the Arizona Cardinals.[21] He appeared in 7 games (missed 2 with an ankle injury), posting 12 tackles, one sack and 3 quarterback pressures.
NFL career statistics
Personal life and death
Kneeland's mother died unexpectedly of an undisclosed illness in February 2024, two months before he was drafted by the Cowboys. Kneeland carried his mother's ashes with him in a necklace at all times.[22] Tennessee Titans defensive back Mike Brown is a cousin of Kneeland.[23]
Kneeland lived in Plano, Texas.[24] He died in Frisco, Texas, on November 6, 2025, at the age of 24, during his second season in the NFL.[24] On the same date, the Texas Department of Public Safety reported that Kneeland had been involved in a 160 mph police pursuit the previous night after he did not stop for a traffic violation. The chase was terminated after officers lost sight of his vehicle.[25] His girlfriend Catalina Mancera then told police that he was armed, had a history of mental illness, and would "end it all." According to police, they responded to a "welfare concern" at Kneeland's apartment complex, but nobody was home.[26] His vehicle was later discovered abandoned following a crash. According to the police, he was found dead nearby "from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound."[25] Local police ruled his death as a suicide, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.[27][28]
Following his death, the Cowboys released a statement describing him as a "beloved teammate" and sending thoughts and prayers to his family.[29] It was also revealed that Catalina Mancera was pregnant with the couple's first child.[30]