The Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders honored Marshawn Kneeland in their latest match, the first since his tragic passing.
The NFL world was deeply saddened by the news of the young Cowboys player’s sudden death, which was reported two weeks ago.
At just 24 years old, Kneeland passed away in the early hours of Thursday, November 6, shortly after achieving his first touchdown in a game against the Arizona Cardinals.
Kneeland was discovered deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following a car crash. He reportedly did not comply with police during a traffic stop in Frisco, Texas, which led to a police chase on the night of Wednesday, November 5.
In the wake of his death, Kneeland’s girlfriend, who is expecting their child, Catalina Mancera, expressed gratitude for the ‘love, prayers, and messages’ she received during this difficult time.
On Monday night, November 18, the Cowboys faced off against the Raiders in a game that carried extra emotional weight due to Kneeland’s recent death.
Both teams paid their respects to the beloved defensive end during the match at Allegiant Stadium.
The Cowboys showcased their remembrance by wearing unique Kneeland t-shirts during warmups and adding decals to their helmets. Staff members also wore pins with his number, 94. A moment of silence was observed before the game started.
The Raiders made their statement by donning suicide prevention shirts with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline number.
Cowboys’ quarterback Dak Prescott honored Kneeland by writing “one love,” a phrase often used by the late player, on his wrist tape.
The Cowboys emerged victorious against the Raiders with a score of 33-16.
After the game, Prescott, who experienced his own family tragedy when his brother Jace died by suicide in 2020, spoke to the media about his tribute: “It’s one of these moments you realize this is just a game, and life is what’s important, and our connections, our relationships… what we say to each other, how we can lift each other up, how we can be a helping hand, how we can be a true neighbor, a true brother, a true sister, and love one another. One love, like Marshawn lived by,” he said to USA Today Sport.
“Hopefully we’d all continue to look at our neighbors, look at ourselves and ask, how can we be better? How can we help better them? And just a moment like I said, to understand that it’s much bigger than this game, and it’s about life.”
Following the match, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer expressed his pride in his team and reaffirmed that Kneeland will always be part of their family, saying, “We’re not done honoring him.”
He added, “But it’s been tough, man. I mean, these past 11 days have been really tough. I’m proud of those guys, because just the way they played… they played with Marshawn’s to play style.”
Fans of both teams united on social media to commend the touching tributes that were made during the game.
Reacting to an image of the Raiders’ suicide hotline jerseys, one Cowboys fan tweeted: “Ton of respect for the Raiders.”
Acknowledging the gestures, another commented, “Class acts!” while a third added: “Good move by both squads.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, support is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat online at 988lifeline.org. You can also contact the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.