Cowboys players to honor Kneeland with play style: ‘We’ll be a better team’
For the first time since the tragic passing of Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland last week, his Cowboys teammates spoke publicly Thursday about the shock and the grieving process associated with the loss.
It wasn’t a traditional locker room setting, as select players were instead brought out to the Ford Center to talk at a backdrop about the team’s feelings moving into a game week. Those players included quarterback Dak Prescott, defensive tackle Solomon Thomas, defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku and wide receiver Ryan Flournoy.
Each had a different, but unique relationship with Kneeland. Odighizuwa bonded with him over anime. Flournoy and his wife went on double dates with him and his girlfriend. Ezeiruaku bonded with him over being young second-round picks with potential.
Unfortunately, those relationships were cut short, but they are letting the memory live on as they corral their emotions into playing the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night.
“We want to win,” Flournoy said. “We want to play the best, no mistakes. Just holding Marshawn in our hearts while we play is going to give us fuel. Give us a little bit of motivation. That moment of silence [before the game] is to honor his life, and we gotta we just go out there and play for him. Just play with the mindset he always had.”
In Thursday’s press conference, head coach Brian Schottenheimer talked about playing the rest of the season in Kneeland’s honor. That takes on a strong meaning to his teammates who will have the chance to do that on the field.
“Nobody chased the ball like Marshawn,” Prescott said. “Going back to the spring, Schotty would show clips of guys running to the ball at OTAs, and Marshawn always made that list. I think it’s evident right there. I think that showed his love for the game, showed his love for his teammates and what this meant. At any position, I think that’s an easy way to do it right there, is just your effort and chasing the ball down just as Marshawn would.”
“He would run to the ball,” Thomas said. “No matter how tired he was, he would play with intensity and tenacity. He went out there because he loved the game. He played with love. He played every play like it was his last and didn’t take reps for granted. What I learned is he came from a small town in Michigan, and he wasn’t supposed to be here. So, he played like he wanted to be here every single day. If we do that, we’ll honor him — win, loss or draw. If we play like Marshawn, we’ll be a better team. We’ll come out of this better.”
Thursday also marked the first return to the practice field since the tragedy. It was an abbreviated practice, as the coaching staff works the team back into playing speed following the bye, but it was also an important one to continue moving forward after the tragedy.
“It was great,” Prescott said about the practice. “Some guys are going to get out on the field, and it’s going to hurt. Some guys are going to get out there, and it’s going to be the best medicine for them. Having dealt with loss, that is the best medicine for me. So getting back out there, handing the ball off and sprinting an extra 10 yards and making sure I’m doing it hard, Marshawn went through my mind a few times at practice today.”
It hasn’t been an easy process over the last week in Frisco, and that struggle will continue through the coming months and years. But as the Cowboys’ players and coaches take the next step in their recovery, focusing on finding a win on Monday night is a healthy distraction. It’s also the ideal medicine.
“Just playing from love and not for love,” Flournoy said. “Marshawn loved a game. You can see it in his play style, how his motor was going, every play, just going fast, and that’s what we’re gonna bring this Monday night and throughout the whole season. Just playing for him, just playing for 94, because he would love to be on that field playing with us.”
This story was originally published November 13, 2025 at 5:56 PM.
