Catalina Mancera, the girlfriend of late Dallas Cowboys player Marshawn Kneeland, is pregnant, the Cowboys’ head coach announced at a news conference on Wednesday.
“We’re going to honor Marshawn and his family in a number of different ways,” Brian Schottenheimer told reporters a week after the 24-year-old defenseman’s death. “The organization has been amazing. We started the Marshawn Kneeland Memorial Fund where we can all give and support Catalina. She is pregnant and so we want to make sure she and the baby are taken care of for the rest of their lives.”
The Marshawn Kneeland Memorial Fund is “dedicated to preserving Marshawn’s legacy and expanding his impact through direct support of his surviving spouse and unborn heir,” according to its website.
“My sweet baby, words can never express how broken I feel, you are my everything. I will love you forever, my beautiful angel,” Mancera wrote Monday on Facebook, captioning a photo of her and Kneeland posing together.
Kneeland died of apparent suicide on November 6 at the age of 24 after allegedly fleeing a police traffic stop in his vehicle. The Texas Department of Public Safety and Frisco, Texas police say they lost sight of his car, which he crashed before fleeing on foot.
The footballer was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound about three hours after the car crash.
On Wednesday, Schottenheimer answered questions about Kneeland’s death and told reporters that he spoke with Mancera Tuesday evening.
“Marshawn loved the words ‘One love,’ so we talked about love a lot when we grieved,” Schottenheimer said.
The coach praised Kneeland’s work ethic and discipline, saying he would miss his “playful spirit” and smile that “could bring you to your knees.”
“My heart is heavy,” Schottenheimer said. “The heart of our team is heavy. We are not moving forward, but we are moving forward.”
Mancera reportedly told police that Kneeland had a history of mental illness. She said Kneeland had a gun and she was afraid he would kill himself. People signed up.
People heard audio of a police dispatcher saying, “We’re talking to the girlfriend. She’s trying to call his officer but we’re trying to get her to call him first but she says he’s armed and has a history of mental illness and her quote was, ‘He’ll end it.'”
Schottenheimer said Wednesday that grief specialists were available to speak with Kneeland’s teammates. In the future, he will tell his players how much he loves them, the coach said.
“And I do. I love them,” Schottenheimer said. “I care about them. She’ll probably never be the same, to be honest. I’m a people person anyway.”
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for mental health care. Additionally, you can find local mental health and crisis resources at dontcallthepolice.com. Outside the US you can visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention.
