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Warning: This story contains information some readers may find distressing<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland has died aged 24.<\/p>\n
Kneeland was drafted by the Cowboys in the second round in 2024 and played 18 times for the team, including four starts.<\/p>\n
Frisco Police Department in Texas said Kneeland appeared to have taken his own life after a vehicle pursuit and multi-agency search on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n
A police statement said he had crashed his car and then fled on foot. <\/p>\n
Officers were informed Kneeland had “expressed suicidal intentions” before he was found dead at 01:31 local time on Thursday.<\/p>\n
A cause of death will be confirmed by the Collin County Medical Examiner’s Office.<\/p>\n
The Dallas Cowboys said: “Marshawn was a beloved teammate and member of our organisation.<\/p>\n
“Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his girlfriend Catalina and his family.”<\/p>\n
Kneeland’s agent, Jonathan Perzley, said his “heart aches” for the death of a player who “poured his heart” into every moment.<\/p>\n
“I watched him fight his way from a hopeful kid at Western Michigan with a dream to being a respected professional for the Dallas Cowboys,” Perzley said.<\/p>\n
Kneeland scored his first touchdown in Tuesday’s defeat by the Arizona Cardinals<\/a> when he recovered a blocked punt.<\/p>\n He was selected by Dallas with the 56th overall pick of the 2024 draft after playing college football for Western Michigan.<\/p>\n The NFL said it is “deeply saddened”.<\/p>\n If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story you can visit <\/i>the BBC Action Line<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n