The football world is reeling after the Dallas Cowboys announced the death of defensive end Marshawn Kneeland, 24, on Thursday. According to the Frisco Police’s statement, Kneeland’s demise is due to a “possible suicide,” and the authorities believe the late DE died “from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.” Pained by his teammate’s tragic demise, QB Dak Prescott offered heartfelt words as he processed the news.

“Tragic loss. I hurt. Heavy heart today,” Prescott told CBS Sports Texas when they caught up with him at his alma mater, Haughton High School, during a field dedication ceremony. “I hurt for Marshawn, I hurt for his family, I hurt for his girlfriend, and I hurt for every single one of my teammates. This is a pain you don’t wish on anybody.”

Prescott paused for a moment before continuing.

“You wish none of us had to go through this. You wish Marshawn didn’t have to go through what he went through. I’m just thankful for each moment we have in this life, and I don’t take it for granted.”

At the Cowboys’ headquarters in Frisco, The Star, a black-and-white photo of Kneeland was displayed prominently. It was a rather powerful tribute to a young man whose promise was clear to everyone who watched him play.

Kneeland, a 2024 draft pick, had quickly become part of Dallas’s young defensive core. Just weeks ago, he scored his first-ever NFL touchdown, recovering a blocked punt in the end zone during the Cowboys’ Monday Night Football win over the Cardinals.

“It’s okay to feel however you’re feeling. And I’ll tell you, I don’t always have the answers. And today is not a day where I felt like I had answers. Triggering day for many reasons. Hard to balance my emotions today and not have words other than I love you for friends and families, and people who may be struggling,” Dak added.

Prescott knows this kind of pain all too well. In April 2020, he also lost his older brother Jace. It was a heartbreak that came years after the two had already endured the loss of their mother, Peggy, to colon cancer while Dak was still at Mississippi State. Jace had carried much of the weight as their mom’s caregiver, something Dak had said took a toll on him emotionally.

Dak Prescott’s advocacy for mental health

Those experiences changed Prescott. They turned him into one of the league’s most outspoken advocates for mental health. During his appearance on “In Depth With Graham Bensinger,” Prescott opened up about why this cause is so dear to him.

The Cowboys’ QB remembered battling his own depression in the days before losing his brother Jace, describing how his father woke him up after what he called the best night of sleep he’d had all year, only to deliver the worst news of his life. It’s a memory that still lingers. And it’s one of the reasons Prescott says he’s determined to help others find a way through their own dark stretches.

That mission has become part of his daily life. This past May, to mark Mental Health Awareness Month, Prescott visited a high school in the Dallas–Fort Worth area to talk about mental health and the power of reaching out. He spent time with students, taking photos and holding up signs that read “Ask 4 Help” and “You’re stronger than you think you are.”

He even writes “Ask 4 Help” on his wrist tape before games and built an entire campaign around the phrase during Suic*de Prevention Month. You can only imagine what Prescott felt hearing that Marshawn Kneeland had died in the same way he lost his brother.

We’ll finish by sharing something Dak Prescott said years ago. “Our adversity, our struggles, what we go through, it’s always going to be too much for ourselves. It may be too much for one or two people. But it’s never too much for a community or for the people in the family you love. So we have to share those things.”

Remember, you’re not alone!