Marshawn Kneeland’s – Months after Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland died at age 24, his girlfriend Catalina Mancera gave birth to their son on June 11. Mancera shared the news on June 15, and Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer offered congratulations during minic
For months, Dallas has been holding two truths at once: the shock of Marshawn Kneeland’s death, and the family life that continued anyway.
Kneeland’s girlfriend, Catalina Mancera, gave birth to the couple’s only child on June 11. She shared the news in a June 15 Instagram post, captioning a photo with a message to Kneeland: “My favorite gift from you.”
The post included a carousel of images showing their son, Makhai, wearing a onesie that displayed an image of Kneeland’s jersey. Mancera also shared a video of herself showing Kneeland the positive pregnancy test.
On June 16, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer offered his well wishes when the baby arrived during minicamp. “We actually showed a picture of Makhi today, so congrats to Catalina,” he said. “I actually saw her a couple weeks ago at (DeMarvion Overshown’s) wedding – she was there, and everybody’s doing great. So the guys were fired up and excited. ….
“When you’re part of our family, you’re family for life. So we want to make sure we do a great job of looking out for her and baby Makhai.”
Kneeland’s death was announced by the Cowboys on the morning of Nov. 6, 2025. He was 24. Police and Texas state troopers had pursued Kneeland for an apparent traffic violation, and he was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
In the weeks that followed, tributes poured in and the tragedy was met with a louder push for mental health awareness. The Cowboys honored their teammate with a special helmet decal, but Schottenheimer also described a plan aimed at the future.
On Nov. 12, Schottenheimer told reporters the team would be starting the “Marshawn Kneeland Memorial Fund” in part to help Kneeland’s girlfriend. “We’re going to honor Marshawn and his family a number of different ways,” he said.
Marshawn Kneeland Catalina Mancera Dallas Cowboys Brian Schottenheimer Marshawn Kneeland Memorial Fund mental health awareness NFL news