Philadelphia Eagles player to wear cleats honoring Cowboys’ Marshawn Kneeland
Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland tragically died Nov. 6, and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jalyx Hunt will wear cleats honoring his friend when the teams play Sunday at AT&T Stadium.
Hunt will wear cleats featuring him, Kneeland and Buffalo Bills defensive end Javon Solomon, who he said all became friends before they were all selected in the 2024 NFL draft, as part of the NFL’s “My Cause My Cleats” Initiative.
“Marshawn and I, we started this journey together,” Hunt said in a video on social media. “I met him, seems like I’ve known him all my life, but I met him beginning of 2024 for the predraft work. Through that process it’s really unique, so I’m with him every day, he’s annoying me, I’m annoying him. [Solomon] was along on that journey with us, and through that, we all got really close and when everyone got drafted, when he went second round to the Cowboys, we all called him, super excited for him, just we knew how much it meant to him.”
Hunt talked about how that friendship continued after all three of them were drafted and how they celebrated each other’s accomplishments.
“Throughout every milestone that we hit, our first sack, we all talked to each other, all of us,” Hunt said. “I called them at the Super Bowl whenever we were going through the week just to tell them how appreciative I was and just talking to them about everything. To be able to wear him on my cleats at the game just really means a lot. It’s like a full-circle moment, and I hate that it has to be like that.”
Hunt ended the video by encouraging people who need help to reach out to the National Suicide Hotline.
The Cowboys’ game against the Eagles on Sunday will be the team’s first home game since Kneeland’s death.
