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Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer revealed on Wednesday that the late Marshawn Kneeland’s girlfriend, Catalina Mancera, is pregnant with their child.
The team has set up a Marshawn Kneeland Memorial Fund to support Mancera and the baby after Kneeland died by suicide early last Thursday at the age of 24.
“She’s pregnant, so we want to make sure she’s taken care of and the baby’s taken care of for the rest of their lives,” Schottenheimer told reporters Wednesday. “Our guys, it’s very important to them and to us.”
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, their troopers tried to stop Kneeland’s vehicle for a traffic violation but he refused. The troopers lost sight of his car after a brief pursuit, but his car was later found abandoned and crashed. Kneeland was then found dead nearby from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a portable toilet, according to the DPS.
Police audio revealed that Mancera told cops Kneeland was armed and had a history of mental illness, and she told them, “he will end it all” after his family was concerned about his welfare.
“I’m grieving hard right now. It will be a long time before I’ll feel ready to talk at any length,” Mancera told the Daily Mail on Monday in her first public comments since Kneeland’s death. “We’re still in the early stages of everything. We are working on the funeral arrangements. I don’t know where it’s going to be yet.”
Days earlier, Kneeland, a defensive end, scored a touchdown on a blocked punt on “Monday Night Football” against the Cardinals.
“We had an opportunity [Tuesday] night to celebrate Marshawn’s life, tell some stories, share, laugh, cry. Marshawn loved the words ‘one love,’ so we talked a lot about love as we grieve,” Schottenheimer said. “I just had a chance to really share a couple things that I’ll miss the most about Marshawn.
“Those top couple things was, he had the most playful spirit of any young man I’ve been around. His smile could take you to your knees. And in terms of him as an athlete, no one had a better motor then him. My heart is heavy, our team’s heart is heavy. We don’t move on, but we do move forward.”
Kneeland was selected by the Cowboys in the second round of the 2024 draft.
The Cowboys, who were on a bye after their loss to the Cardinals, return to the field this coming Monday against the Raiders and will wear helmet decals in Kneeland’s honor.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for free and confidential crisis counseling.
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