GREEN BAY – Micah Parsons had barely started his day when the Packers defensive lineman received a message no one ever wants to get from a former teammate on Thursday morning.
Marshawn Kneeland, the second-year defensive lineman with whom Parsons played in Dallas last season, had passed away at just 24 years old. Local authorities later revealed Kneeland had died from “an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
The news rattled Parsons to his core. Prior to being traded to Green Bay in August, Parsons shared a position room with Kneeland throughout the 2024 season.
In an instant, the kid Parsons fondly remembered for his passion for football, anime and video games was suddenly gone.
“I was extremely shocked. I was extremely hurt by the news,” Parsons said. “I just gotta pray he finds his peace and what he was looking for; how he felt in that moment, you just really don’t know.”
A second-round pick out of Western Michigan last year, Kneeland had 12 tackles and a sack in seven games for the Cowboys this season. Just days before his passing he recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals.
Talking with the media for more than 13 minutes on Friday, Parsons acknowledged the pressures that come with being a professional athlete and importance of seeking help.
It’s also a reminder of how you never really know what someone is going through under the helmet and away from the field. Parsons said he reached out to several former teammates and friends back home the past two days.
“We should all just use this time to stay prayed up … praying for your loved ones, praying that people find peace,” Parsons said. “Life’s just so short, so we should really just start appreciating a little bit more and just loving people right and being purposeful with our intent and how we treat people and how we accept people.”
The pressure to deliver manifests itself both internally and externally, especially in the age of social media when fans have open access to expressing their feelings in real time.
Harsh criticism directed at individual players can affect the person. In those instances, Parsons points out, it’s important to remember the human underneath the helmet.
“It’s a hard job, but it’s hard to be a person sometimes,” Parsons said. “Sometimes you wish things was different … because obviously it was Marshawn the person that we wish we could’ve been there for him, not Marshawn the uniform. I’m just trying to be there for people, more the person side than the football side.”
While praying Kneeland finds peace, Parsons extended his condolences to Kneeland’s family members, offering his assistance for anything they might need.