Ahead of their Monday Night Football showdown, the Dallas Cowboys and the Las Vegas Raiders came together to pay touching tributes to Marshawn Kneeland.
Kneeland died by apparent suicide at the age of 24 on November 6th, roughly 48 hours after he scored his first NFL touchdown for the Cowboys.
In the days that followed, tributes from teammates, rivals and fans across the country poured in as people came to terms with the devastating news.
The Cowboys returned to the field for the first time since Kneeland’s death on Monday night and, prior to the game, they honored Kneeland with a touching tribute.
During their warm-ups at Allegiant Stadium, the Cowboys players were seen wearing custom tribute t-shirts with Kneeland’s face on the front.
The Cowboys players also had Kneeland’s number, 94, on their helmets, in another form of commemoration for the defensive end.
The Dallas Cowboys and the Las Vegas Raiders paid tribute to Marshawn Kneeland on Monday
Cowboys players were seen wearing custom tribute t-shirts for the defensive end
Meanwhile, Raiders players wore warmup shirts displaying the suicide hotline number
In their own tribute, the Raiders players wore custom t-shirts which had Suicide and Crisis Lifeline number, 988, written on the back.
Meanwhile, before kick-off, a moment of silence was held while a tribute video for Kneeland was shown on screen which was perfectly observed by attendees.
The Cowboys also had a locker for Kneeland at the Allegiant Stadium, which had his jersey hanging up.
In one video posted on social media, Cowboys QB Dak Prescott was seen making a prayer on the sidelines, while wearing the Kneeland tribute t-shirt.
Prescott, who lost his own brother to suicide in 2020, previously spoke on Kneeland’s death and insisted it’s ‘a pain that you don’t wish upon anybody’.
Prescott said: ‘I hurt for Marshawn, I hurt for his family, I hurt for his girlfriend, I hurt for every single one of my teammates.
‘This is a pain that you don’t wish upon anybody. You wish none of us had to go through this. You wish Marshawn didn’t have to go through what he went through.
‘Tough moment for this team. I feel and hurt for everybody that’s involved in this and Marshawn’s family and loved ones.’
All of the Cowboys players also had Kneeland’s number, 94, on the back of their helmets
The Cowboys had a locker for Kneeland at Allegiant Stadium, which had his jersey hanging up
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott was seen praying while wearing the custom Kneeland t-shirt
Earlier on Monday, Kneeland’s pregnant girlfriend has issued a desperate plea for ‘photos and memories’ of the former Dallas Cowboys star.
Taking to Facebook on Saturday, she said: ‘Hi everyone, I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for all the love, prayers, and messages that have been sent my way. Your support has meant more to me than I can put into words during such a painful time.’
‘As I continue honoring Marshawn’s memory, I’m trying to gather as many photos and memories of him as possible. If you have any pictures of Marshawn whether they’re recent, old, funny, or meaningful.
‘I would truly appreciate it if you could share them with me,’ she continued. She added that ‘every photo helps me hold onto a piece of him and the beautiful impact he had on all of us.’
