Dak Prescott Reflects on the Life of Marshawn Kneeland | Player Interviews

Dak Prescott Reflects on the Life of Marshawn Kneeland | Player Interviews

D, just talk about your emotions in the moments after hearing the news and just exactly what Marawn meant to you. Yeah. Um, initially hearing the news, um, stunned. I mean, it was early early morning. Um, saw the message. Uh, didn’t really didn’t really want to believe it. Didn’t believe it. Um, stunned almost shocked. Uh, numbness. Um, big portion of that being numb. Um and Marshon just a great dude. Just spirit was always high. Um anytime you crossed him, very contagious attitude. Uh we we we spent I would say mo a lot of time throughout the the training training room passing each other having small conversations here and there and um very loving contagious guy. I mean I know know that right it’s been it’s been noted right as saying was one love and I I I think you just felt that you you felt that that that or aura you felt that demeanor you felt him carry that and that’s everything that he did the way he played this game um the way he took care of his his body uh he did that like a veteran um he was a professional he was much more of a professional than than a lot of young guys that that I’ve seen throughout the league and doing everything that you need to do the right way to make sure you’re available um and Marion did that and uh very loved. Um he he’ll he’ll be missed. Uh def definitely not forgotten and we’re going to move forward. We’re going to move forward um to carry on his legacy and just everything that we can do. Just trying to do it to the best we can. As the leader of this team, what’s your message to your teammates in terms of how you go about moving forward? Yeah, for one, I mean, it’s just been being present. Um I can honestly say I there hadn’t been a moment I’ve stepped up and addressed the team. And I think the important reason for me why is I know in my experiences of of dealing with loss and and past like you you should grieve your own way. And I don’t for one second want to tell somebody how they should grieve and how they should get over um not get over or work through something. Um, I just know the best thing that’s that’s helped me out is just when people are just there for me and when they’re there for me in silence, just feeling their presence, feeling their love, and um, showing me what it looks like to to how to move from one day to the next, doing better and and trying to carry on a legacy. And so for me, that’s a lot of these guys. I mean, I hope everybody in this organization understands or knows my losses. And so, um, I just hopefully somebody can can look at me and and understand and see what I’ve been through and that there is brighter days, better days, and, um, you can get through this and you’ll get through it and be stronger because of it. And, uh, I just want to be example of that to my teammates. Sean, talked about you guys playing, honoring him by the way, the rest of the team. What does that look like? Nobody chased the ball like like Maran. And you turn on practice film, game film, whatever it may be. Um, I know going back to the spring, we we would shotty would show clips of guys running at the ball in OTAAS and Marawn always made that list and um, I think it’s just evident right there. Uh, and I think that showed his love for the game, showed his love for his teammates and what this meant. And so at any position, at any position, I think that’s an easy way to do it right there is just your effort and chasing the ball down just as Marawn would. A lot of players look to you and Si as the leaders of this team to help. Who do you guys look to to help you get through this? Yeah, I mean the Cowboys did a great job of bringing in professionals, people who are um who get paid to deal with the these moments. And as you as you just uh noted, right, obviously me and Sally have been through this, but I’ll be the first to say that I may be the champion of speaking up, but I’m not necessarily the champion of of dealing with grief, I guess you can say, right? And I’ll say is I’m I’m a champion of moving forward and past it and using it as as your strength of as your source of strength. Um, but the team did an amazing job of bringing in professionals, whether it been doctors, whether it was Dr. T, or whether it been O2X, of um of not only just words, but but but giving people um obviously having the resources for them to be able to talk to and those medical and those those counselors and giving people those avenues, but just as well as um different ways to to to deal with grief and you know, when certain emotions and certain feelings come about, maybe to counteract them. And I know one for me is I get angry a lot. And the best way is I when I get angry or when I get sad in those moments, I just think about how can I counteract that? And usually it’s um how can I make somebody smile or or how can I do something better? And so just little things like that um have been helpful. I know have been helpful to me. And so as I said, I haven’t necessarily spoken uh had a team addressed, I guess you can say. U but I’ve taken a lot of those conversations from O2X, from Dr. te from the professionals and have brought them into smaller conversations as we’ve had breakouts or just um hot tub talk or conversations at lunch. It just um the more we can talk, the more we can connect. That that’s that’s the the only good in this honestly at this moment is um reminding us how important it is connect and how important it is to not just know these jersey numbers but but to know the family and to know things um beyond this building. Speaking on that, I know you guys had a Zoom meeting last Thursday, but to be able to come back together Monday, how did you see the impact that made and what does it mean to have a team to be able to cope a loss like this? It’s huge. Um, don’t know what I’d do. I don’t know what these guys would do without having a team like this. I can tell you my my hardest days were were those few days before we got to come in and be together. As I was just saying, the ways that I rightight deal with grief is just being in the presence of others who understand what that grief feels like. And um, in this case, it was just your teammates. it was only your teammates you could really just be around that that have that feeling that can understand and that that you can have conversations about Marshon. You can carry on that light and you can you can smile in the sense of of being hurt. And um those days were tough, but I think the moment that we got in together, I know that team meeting was healing to me. I know it was to a lot of guys. Um and just every conversation has been and to to have a team to have teammates and brothers that that that you can love and you go through things with. Um, that’s been my message to these guys is we don’t get this forever. And when this is going, if we don’t make these connects the right way, we’re going to lose it. And so just invest in even more. Solomon said, you know, he didn’t he was asked about seeing if there were any signs, you know, that Marshall was struggling. He said he didn’t really see any. And, you know, with that there could be guilt. What have you learned from some of your losses about dealing with that? Is there something you could share on that team? Yeah, guilt’s tricky. Um, guilt’s one of those things that that when those thoughts come in, that that’s that’s where you first have to counteract and counter thoughts. Uh, to to go off of what Solomon said, yeah, there was no signs. And I know respect to the family, right? They don’t want to go down and tag this as as mental health. Um, and with that being said, yeah, there was no signs. I said, I crossed him a lot, passed him a lot through the hot tub, through cold tub, through the training room, and far opposite of any signs. I mean, there there was never really isolation. and there wasn’t a time that that you know Marshon wasn’t talking or um wasn’t open or putting smiles on people’s faces. Um so so it’s tough to even you know talk to these these these two things um hand in hand and for me it’s it’s it’s a moment of a cup ran over and and that’s why it’s important for us to connect just communicate talk vent and and just try to get things off our plates um as much as we can and um just be there even when you feel like you’re not. Your your present matters. What was today like to be back out on the field? It was great. Um and Shotti Shotti alluded to that and I and he he said he said it earlier in the week. Uh or yeah, some some guys are going to get out the field and it’s going to hurt and some guys are going to get out there and that’s going to be the best medicine for him. Um haven’t dealt with the loss and that is the best medicine for me. Um so getting back out there um handing the ball off and sprinting an extra 10 yards and making sure I’m doing it hard. Marshawn went through my mind a few times at practice today and I just countered that with running harder after a play or trying to do something uh to to better this team and to to to show that. Uh but but it felt good and I know it was a great practice. A lot of guys were out there, good energy, beautiful weather. Um and as I said, we’re not forgetting but we’re moving forward. Um carrying on the light. Thank you guys. Thank you.

QB Dak Prescott spoke to the media following Thursday’s message to reflect on Marshawn Kneeland’s life, the importance of connecting with those around you, returning to the practice field, and more.

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