Cowboys Players Mark One Year Since Marshawn Kneeland Death
Dallas players discuss the impact of the Huddle 94 program, named for Kneeland's jersey number, one year after his death.
By Charlotte Dubois ·
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said the team’s new mental health initiative might have helped Marshawn Kneeland.
Prescott made the comment on Thursday as the team marked one year since the linebacker’s death. Kneeland died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on November 6, 2025, after a car chase and foot pursuit with police in Frisco, Texas.
The program, known as Huddle 94, is named after Kneeland's jersey number. It functions as a supplement to the team's existing mental health resources by organizing player-led roundtable discussions. The goal is to strengthen the brotherhood among players and address stressors they face on and off the field.
"They've done a great job of putting something together and allowing us to create conversations and get together in smaller groups," Prescott said. "If it was something that we had, may have helped Marshawn. It may have been something that would've been a resource for him to prevent what inevitably happened."
The initiative follows a period of intense grief for the roster. Kneeland played in his final game against the Arizona Cardinals, returning a blocked punt for a touchdown in a 27-17 loss. The Cowboys were in their bye week when the team learned of his death. Players and staff held a team-wide videoconference call.
Prescott, whose older brother Jace died by suicide in 2020, described the day as tough. He credited defensive lineman Solomon Thomas with speaking to the group during the call. Thomas founded The Defensive Line foundation in 2018 after the death of his sister, Ella, to promote youth suicide prevention and mental health awareness.
"Being somebody that's been through it, you'll have all kind of feelings and emotions that may come up [Friday] and some you're not expecting," Prescott said. "And even in those moments, it's about talking about it and talking through it with other people."
The organization and Dr. Heather Twedell, the team's mental health clinician, arranged for counselors to speak with players after Kneeland's death. The team held a vigil at The Star. For the remainder of the season, Osa Odighizuwa carried a flag with the number 94 onto the field, and Kneeland's jersey was displayed by the bench. Donations from the organization and players supported Kneeland's unborn child, while the Gene and Jerry Jones Family Foundation purchased equipment for Godwin Heights High School in Wyoming, Michigan.
