"Look, it's actually crazy because over the course of this season, I figured out I have performance anxiety before games," Overshown said after Friday's practice. "But during that time, I actually told our psychiatrist I feel like that's my moment to power up. I feel like I'm a transformer. I just start shaking.
"I feel like that's the superhero coming out of me. So I know it's going to be a lot of mixed emotions just by being happy to be out there, but knowing that we're walking out with one less soldier, but also knowing that, look, you've waited 365 \[days\] for this moment again — be blessed. Don't take it lightly. Have fun while you're doing it."
That statement alone is evidence to the internal struggle that tugs Overshown from two opposite directions, and it's all about figuring out how to reconcile them by marrying it all in a way that both honors Kneeland while also powering Overshown up to do what needs to be done for the Cowboys.
But it sounds as if he's done exactly that heading into Vegas: woven the grief into his purpose.
"I don't take it lightly," he said. "I don't take it lightly at all. And, you know, this is one of the best ways we can honor him, by continuing his dream, continuing his legacy and what he wanted that to be — to play hard, 60 minutes straight, win ball games, and smile while doing it.
"Having that internal motivation, knowing my teammates, knowing this is a guy that we counted on big, big time. So we've got to do our job to fill those footsteps, to fill those cleats. And that's by running, hitting hard, scoring touchdowns, making plays like Marshawn Kneeland. I don't take that lightly. So that's exactly what I'm going to do Monday with the plays I get."
It is unknown is Overshown will be on a pitch count come Monday, given the Cowboys will likely want to ramp him up after being sidelined for a year, but he also made it clear there have been conversations the detail a plan for if the game is on the line and he's at his pitch count max — Overshown saying they understand he wants to be "on the field to make a play" in those situations.
Time will tell how that all plays out, but what's already known is just how much effort Overshown intends to put on film, as is always the case, but more than ever as the spirit of Kneeland helps to propel him forward.