Marshawn Kneeland’s Girlfriend Is Pregnant With Late NFL Player’s Baby

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Marshawn Kneeland’s legacy will live on.

Just days after the tragic death of Dallas Cowboys player at age 24, head coach Brian Schottenheimer announced that his girlfriend, Catalina Mancera, is pregnant with the player’s child.

Coach Schottenheimer announced on November 12th that Catalina is expecting, and the team is committed to supporting both her and the baby long-term. He emphasized how much this means to the players and the coaching staff.

Therefore, the team created the Marshawn Kneeland Memorial Fund as a way for everyone to contribute and help Catalina.

The coach also shared a memory of Kneeland, describing how the team came together to honor him.

“Marshawn loved the words ‘one love,’” he explained. “So we talked a lot about love as we grieve.”

Schottenheimer shared that he’d especially miss Kneeland’s cheerful and fun-loving personality, describing him as the most playful young player he’d ever known.

Honestly, his smile… it just completely wrecked me every time. It was like everything just melted away when he smiled. And as an athlete? Forget about it. Nobody, nobody played with more heart, more drive. It just… it breaks my heart thinking about it all.

“Our team’s heart is heavy,” Schottenheimer continued. “We don’t move on, but we do move forward.”

Only a few days before Schottenheimer announced she was pregnant, Mancera publicly addressed the heartbreaking loss for the first time in a short message on November 10th.

She shared a photo with Kneeland on Facebook, writing about her immense grief: “I can’t put into words how heartbroken I am. You mean the world to me, and I’ll love you always, my sweet angel.”

Kneeland died on November 6th, after crashing his car while running from Texas police the night before. He ran away from the crash scene on foot, officials said.

According to audio reviewed by People magazine, police were told the man texted his family to say goodbye before he died, and they expressed concern for his well-being.

Shortly after the incident, Kneeland’s family released a statement, saying they were still coming to terms with their immense sadness.

I was such a big fan of Marshawn, watching him play for the Cowboys, but what always struck me was the incredible person he was off the field. He was deeply loved by his family – a wonderful son, brother, uncle, and all around family man. He truly lit up the lives of everyone who knew him, and his memory will live on in all of us who were touched by his spirit. It’s a huge loss, and I’ll always remember him for who he was, both on and off the field.

For a look back at Kneeland’s life, keep reading.

Marshawn Kneeland‘s football career started long before his time at the NFL.

While in high school in Michigan, Marshawn had a standout senior year, excelling on both sides of the ball. He made 110 tackles and 8 sacks while playing defense, and also contributed significantly on offense with 20 catches for 330 yards and 5 touchdowns.

After finishing school, Marshawn went to Western Michigan University and played football for four years. During that time, he made 149 tackles and 12.5 sacks.

The athlete was known for his dedication while at school, consistently putting in extra work at the team’s facilities – training hard and studying game films whenever possible.

According to his coach, David Denham, that’s when he began to really stand out from the rest of the players.

The Dallas Cowboys drafted Marshawn in the second round of 2024, and team owner Jerry Jones famously told him, “We’re going to put a star on that helmet.”

The young athlete was determined to enjoy every second of the experience. He described draft night as a “once in a lifetime” opportunity and said he was simply thrilled to be there.

Marshawn carried his strong work ethic with him when he joined the NFL and began preparing for his rookie season.

As for how he was approaching the NFL, Marshawn just wanted to stick to his game plan. 

After being drafted, he explained he plans to play the same way he always has: with a lot of energy, speed, and physicality. He believes success will come down to making impactful plays during the game.

In nearly two seasons with the Texas team, the 24-year-old player recorded 26 tackles and one sack over 18 games, starting in four of them.

Just days before his death, Marshawn scored his first touchdown in the league. 

According to his agent, Jonathan Perzley, Marshawn Beast Mode Lynch was a player who gave everything he had to the game. Perzley said that losing someone with Lynch’s skill, energy, and character is incredibly difficult to express in words.

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2025-11-13 00:49