The family of former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland has announced that researchers at the Boston University CTE Center diagnosed him with stage 1 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) (the earliest of the disease’s four stages) following a post-mortem analysis of his brain tissue.
Kneeland died last year following a police chase that began after a traffic violation, with officers later finding him deceased after the vehicle was involved in a crash. He was 24 years old. Kneeland began playing tackle football at age seven, went on to play at Western Michigan University, and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. CBSSports.com
In a statement shared through the Concussion & CTE Foundation, Kneeland’s family, including his girlfriend Catalina Mancera, said the diagnosis “does not change the tragedy of his passing” but helps explain some of the difficulties he may have faced, and that they hope sharing it raises awareness of what athletes in high-contact sports can experience. Concussionandcte
CTE is a progressive brain disease linked to repeated head impacts, and can currently only be diagnosed after death. Boston University CTE Center director Dr. Ann McKee noted nearly half of the athletes the Center has studied who died before age 30 have shown signs of the disease. Concussionandcte
This case is a reminder of why early recognition, management, and prevention of head impacts matters at every level of play, from the community level up.
Original post: Boston University CTE Center via LinkedIn, linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7480468864598908928
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