Marshawn Kneeland’s family releases statement about his death

Marshawn Kneeland’s family has released a statement about the Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman’s death.

Nicole Kneeland-Woods shared a Facebook post on behalf of the Kneeland family on Nov. 6. The statement said the family is “devastated” by Kneeland’s death, and requested privacy as they grieve.

“We are devastated by this tremendous loss and are still processing the depth of our grief,” the statement said. “As Marshawn was making his mark on the football field with the Dallas Cowboys, he held an even more special place off the field — as a devoted son, brother, uncle, cousin, nephew, grandson, and friend. He was kind, determined, humble, and full of love. His light shone brightly in every life he touched, and his spirit will continue to live on through the countless hearts he inspired.”

Kneeland died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Wednesday night at the age of 24. Prior to his death, he had failed to pull over his vehicle after police attempted to stop him for a traffic violation. The vehicle was later found abandoned after being involved in a crash.

Kneeland was drafted by the Cowboys in the second round out of Western Michigan last year. He played in seven games this season and made three starts. He had 12 combined tackles and a sack after having 14 total tackles in 11 games as a rookie last season. He died just two days after recovering a blocked punt for a touchdown in Dallas’ Week 9 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.