The Dallas Cowboys will continue to support Marshawn Kneeland's girlfriend and his unborn child
It’s been a week since the shocking death of former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland, yet the NFL community is still finding it difficult to move on from the incident.
Kneeland, a second-year defender, had just scored his first NFL touchdown after coming up with a blocked punt and returning it to the end zone against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football (MNF), just days before his suicidal death.
Information related to his passing and his personal life slowly started to come out. The latest piece of news was shared by Cowboys’ head coach Brian Schottenheimer, who, during Wednesday’s media session, revealed that Kneeland’s girlfriend is pregnant and expecting the couple’s first baby.
As events of Marshawn Kneeland’s death and personal life started coming forward, the Dallas Cowboys recently learned about the pregnancy of his girlfriend, Catalina Mancera.
A moment that should be celebrated to the fullest has now turned bittersweet for Mancera and the Kneeland family following the player’s sudden death.
Upon learning about the pregnancy, Schottenheimer also announced that the team wants to ensure that Mancera and her baby remain supported for life financially. As a result, the team has started the Marshawn Kneeland Memorial Fund.
“We’ve started the Marshawn Kneeland Memorial Fund, where we can all give and support Catalina,” Schottenheimer told reporters. “She’s pregnant, and so we want to make sure she’s taken care of and the baby’s taken care of for the rest of their lives.”
During the late-night hours of Wednesday, November 5, a car was successful in evading a pursuit by Troopers, which was later identified as that of Cowboys’ defensive end Marshawn Kneeland.
As the Frisco Police Department in Texas got involved in searching for Kneeland, his car was found in a crashed state near Warren Parkway, while Kneeland had fled on foot.
As the police initiated contact with Kneeland’s girlfriend, Mancera, in a panicked state, she told them that he suffered from mental health issues and that he would “end it all.” The police later found Kneeland in a deceased state with self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
While the death of Kneeland will never be forgotten, his legacy will continue to be honored. The Cowboys Memorial Fund initiation, led by Schottenheimer and the Jones family, is certainly a one-of-a-kind gesture that will ensure Mancera and her child still have support in the form of an extended family.
Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
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