Cowboys Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer vowed the team will honor Kneeland by “how we play.”
DALLAS — Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer spoke publicly for the first time since the death of defensive end Marshawn Kneeland, calling the past week one of the most difficult of his career and saying there’s “no playbook” for how to process such a loss.
Schottenheimer also revealed Kneeland’s girlfriend, Caralina Mancera, is pregnant. During his comments, he revealed that the Cowboys have started a memorial fund to help Mancera. Schottenheimer said the team plans to support her and the baby as part of honoring Kneeland’s legacy.
“I’d like to just take a few moments and offer my condolences to Marshawn’s family,” Schottenheimer said. “My heart is heavy, our team’s heart is heavy. We don’t move on, but we do move forward.”
The Cowboys held a candlelight vigil Wednesday night to honor Kneeland’s life. Players shared stories, laughed, cried, and remembered the 23-year-old rookie’s energy and joy both on and off the field.
“We told some stories, shared, laughed and cried,” Schottenheimer said. “Marshawn loved the words one love. So we talked a lot about love as we grieve.”
He described Kneeland as “the most playful spirit of any young man I have been around,” adding, “His smile could take you to your knees. And as far as an athlete, no one had a better motor than him.”
The coach said it’s been hard to talk about because the loss happened when players weren’t together. But the tragedy, he said, has drawn the team closer than ever. “There’s no playbook,” he said. “You take it one day at a time. You don’t have to have all the answers. We don’t have all the answers, and we probably won’t have all the answers, but you lean on one another.”
Counselors were brought in to help players share openly about their grief. “It was hard to hear the pain that some of the guys were dealing with,” Schottenheimer said, “but also uplifting to hear the strength from others.”
He said the players have been leaning on each other — some finding comfort in returning to football, others still struggling with the pain.
“For some guys, getting out on the grass is going to be the best thing in the world for them, and for some guys, getting out on the grass is going to be painful,” he said. “But that’s OK. We are going to give one another grace and time.”
Schottenheimer reflected on Kneeland’s final game and the moment that defined him as both an athlete and a person.
“Go back to his touchdown the other night—just the excitement on his face,” he said. “When you talk about practice players, you’d be hard-pressed to ask anyone in the locker room if anyone worked harder than Marshawn.”
The head coach said the team is determined to channel that same spirit on the field. “I do promise you this—these guys will be ready to play against the Raiders,” Schottenheimer said. “And we will honor Marshawn by how we play, not just against the Raiders but for the rest of the season.”
As the Cowboys prepare to return to the field, Schottenheimer said the focus will remain on togetherness, faith, and love — values Kneeland embodied every day. “I’m hurting,” he said. “And these guys have picked me up, and I’ve picked them up. That’s what we’re going to continue to do, because we love one another, and we’re family.”