![\"Cowboys](\"https:\/\/imagez.tmz.com\/image\/d3\/4by3\/2025\/11\/12\/d3c0563cc82f4b2bb281a2bc483c7c81_md.png\")
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The Cowboys returned to The Star this week with heavy hearts after the death of defensive end Marshawn Kneeland during the team\u2019s off week.<\/p>\n
The team held a private candlelight vigil inside the Ford Center on Tuesday night. Owner Jerry Jones, coach Brian Schottenheimer and Kneeland\u2019s girlfriend, Catalina Mancera, were among those who shared eulogies. Schottenheimer met with the media for the first time since Kneeland\u2019s death on Wednesday and revealed that Mancera is pregnant.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy heart is heavy. Our team\u2019s heart is heavy. We don\u2019t move on, but we do move forward.\u201d Schottenheimer said, via Todd Archer of ESPN.<\/p>\n
Kneeland died last Thursday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a police chase and a wreck with another car, according to authorities.<\/p>\n
The Cowboys held a virtual team meeting on Friday, with many players, coaches and staff out of town on the off week. After their return to The Star on Monday, the Cowboys met again as a team. Grief specialists have been available all week, with a \u201cbrotherhood breakfast\u201d held Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n
The Cowboys will practice for the first time without their teammate on Thursday as they begin preparations for their Monday night game against the Raiders.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was hard to hear the pain that some of these guys are dealing with, but it was also very uplifting to hear the strength from other guys,\u201d Schottenheimer said. \u201cThat\u2019s the beauty of a team. One side of the ball is [not] playing good, the other side of the ball has to pick them up. When one guy is hurting, someone else has to pick them up. If the head coach is hurting, someone\u2019s got to pick me up. And I\u2019m hurting. I\u2019m hurting. And these guys have picked me up, and I\u2019ve picked them up.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re going to continue to do because we love one another. It\u2019s what a family does.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Cowboys will honor Kneeland\u2019s memory in several ways, including with a helmet decal. They have also started a Marshawn Kneeland Memorial Fund for Mancera and the couple\u2019s baby.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to make sure she\u2019s taken care of, and the baby\u2019s taken care of for the rest of their lives. Our guys are very \u2014 it\u2019s very important to them and to us.\u201d Schottenheimer said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The defensive end died last week during the Cowboys’ off week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":119582,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-119581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n