Former Western Michigan defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland, who had been a second-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, has passed away early Thursday morning, per multiple sources.
He was 24 years old.
As of publication, there is no known cause of death.
“Marshawn was a beloved teammate and member of our organization,” the Cowboys organization said via press release. “Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his girlfriend Catalina and his family.”
Kneeland, a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was in the news earlier this week after making a name for himself on Monday Night Football, recovering a blocked punt for a touchdown to help the Cowboys bridge their scoring gap to the Cardinals.
At the high school level, Kneeland set several career-long records at Godwin Heights [MI], including high-water marks for tackles, tackles for loss and sacks. Kneeland, who played both defensive end and tight end, earned first-team all-state honors after finishing his senior campaign with 110 tackles, 15 TFLs and eight sacks to go along with 20 receptions for 330 yards and five touchdowns. Kneeland, a team captain, was also named to all-area, all-conference and all-Dream Team rosters in both his junior and senior years as a prospect.
Kneeland, who was a two-star prospect per 247Sports, signed with nearby Western Michigan after high school, his only listed offer at the FBS level. Division II power Grand Valley State and Western Illinois of the FCS also offered.
Kneeland would eventually leave Kalamazoo as one of the program’s most decorated veterans, compiling 148 tackles, 27.5 tackles-for-loss, 13 sacks, three passes defensed and three fumble recoveries over five years as a Bronco. His senior campaign in 2023 was his best, impressing NFL scouts with 57 tackles, 7.5 TFLs and 4.5 sacks en route to second-team all-MAC honors.
Kneeland’s breakout was at the 2024 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, where he registered as the fastest edge rusher by GPS scoring before dominating the practice sessions and put together a great performance during the game itself, finishing with a tackle, a half-TFL and a half-sack.
His performance was enough to earn him an invitation to the NFL’s Scouting Combine, becoming one of just two prospects from the Mid-American Conference to earn the honor in 2024.
Notably, prior to the Scouting Combine, Kneeland’s mother, Wendy, passed away suddenly from an undisclosed illness. Kneeland famously wore her ashes in a necklace from that point forward, a nod to her belief in Marshawn’s dream of making it to the NFL.
“It was definitely tough,” Kneeland told the Dallas Morning News after getting drafted. “I just managed it. She helped me a lot in my younger years getting into football. I always had the dream. I always told her, ‘I’m going to the NFL’ and I made it.”
The 2025 campaign was to serve as his first season in full health after tearing his meniscus during his rookie year. Kneeland had 26 tackles and a sack in 18 games (four starts) for Dallas in parts of two seasons.
Kneeland is survived by his girlfriend, Catalina, and immediate family.
This story will be updated as more details become available.
