Cowboys Nation mourns Marshawn Kneeland, highlighting mental health awareness

As the loss of Marshawn Kneeland continues to sink in, Cowboys Nation is coming together.

Just a few days ago, Cowboys rookie 24-year-old Marshawn Kneeland scored his first NFL touchdown.

“It was a big high, you know, he was the second-round draft pick last year, but that is the thing about mental health,” longtime Cowboys insider Clarence Hill said. “You can have a big game where you think everything is going right about your life, in your career, small school guy playing for the Cowboys, everything is a high, but you don’t know the difficulties of what they’re dealing with inside.”

Hill is now reflecting on the sudden loss of the young player who died by suicide.

“He lost his mom last year, and he’s been dealing with a lot of things regarding that,” he said.

Hill and former Cowboys player and coach Greg Ellis hosted a podcast for fans on Thursday. Ellis knew Kneeland well.

“He was a very exciting young man to be around,” he said. “Loved football. Played the game really hard. “You just don’t see these kinds of things coming.”

Ellis is also a mental health advocate and recently released a film called “My Dear,” which he wrote and produced. It shines a light on what he’s learned.

“One of the things that some of the retired players in the film said is that every team in the league, this needs to be a mandate for them to see,” he said.  “I seriously agree with it because you know, playing professional sports, it is a lot of pressure because people want us to win and perform at our best, but we put more pressure on ourselves because we want to be the best.”

He says if you see signs that a loved one is struggling, check in on them and ask how they’re doing.