Mother of Cowboys Star Refuses to Claim Son’s Body, Launches Legal Action Against Texas DPS

Dallas, TX – November 7, 2025
Just 48 hours after the unexpected death of Marshawn Kneeland — defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys — his mother, Linda Kneeland, has filed a lawsuit in Collin County District Court against the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). She alleges that a high-speed police chase initiated over a minor traffic violation triggered her son’s panic and ultimately took his life.

According to the complaint, officers attempted a stop on Kneeland’s vehicle at approximately 10:33 p.m. on the Dallas North Tollway while he was returning from the Cowboys’ training complex. ▸ The chase was terminated when troopers lost visual contact, but the subsequent crash on the Dallas Parkway — and Kneeland’s subsequent self-inflicted gunshot wound — are central to the family’s claim.

“Marshawn was not a criminal,” Linda Kneeland said through tears. “He was a good son, a dedicated player … If the police hadn’t chosen to pursue him that night, my son would still be alive.”

The lawsuit contends DPS troopers flouted state policy by engaging in a pursuit over what the family describes as a minor traffic infraction. It demands both compensation and policy reform — specifically, banning high-speed chases for non-violent offenses. “This was not law enforcement — it was a humanitarian failure,” stated family attorney Mark Hensley.

The Cowboys organization has pledged support to the family. Ownership and team leadership announced plans to help cover legal costs and to establish a scholarship fund in Marshawn’s name for under-privileged youth athletes. Team owner Jerry Jones has also reportedly met privately with the Kneeland family. 

At 24 years old, Kneeland had just scored his first NFL touchdown two days before his death — a blocked-punt recovery returned for a score. Teammates described him as “a silent warrior with a gentle heart.” 

Linda Kneeland, who had raised Marshawn as a single mother, said her goal is not vengeance, but change: “I can’t bring my son back … But I can make sure no other mother has to lose her child to fear.”

In the heart of Texas, one family’s grief is driving a call for accountability — a plea that no life, no future, and no dream should end in a pursuit that never should have begun.