Shiyazh Pete won’t be in the headlines forever based on his six plays in an exhibition game for the Dallas Cowboys, but days after making history as the first Navajo to play in an NFL game, he’s still wearing an afterglow.
People aren’t stopping talking about the undrafted free agent guard, who broke down the team after the win in a viral moment.
There are even Pete jerseys on offer, though it will be a year before the Cowboys get their “Rivalries” alternate jersey from Nike. Camden Brown figures to be around for that as another strong exhibition game makes him close to a lock when the final 53-man rosters are announced Sunday, Aug. 30.
Here is how Dallas is getting there.
Dallas Cowboy Shiyazh Pete still making headlines
Pete’s moment is still trending as Dallas nears roster decision day.
The undrafted
free agent guard who became the first Navajo to sign an NFL contract only played six snaps in the Dallas Cowboys' 34-13 preseason win against Arizona on Saturday, Aug. 22, and it’s still the talk of the team. He received a large standing ovation from a sizable contingent of Navajos in the stadium, then broke down the team in the locker room after the game with a speech that went viral.
"It was surreal," Pete told DallasCowboys.com. "It's hard to find the words to describe. English probably isn't the language to describe it in."
Per DallasCowboys.com, Pete then used a word in his native tongue that “was difficult to make out, and didn't have a direct translation to the English language.”
"Folks back home, folks upstairs at our stadium will know," Pete said.
When asked what he saw in the win, Pete said, "I saw hope, courage. Hope and courage. … It's definitely etched in the history books, I'll tell you that. It was incredible. I'm trying to find the words of how special and impactful that really was. The fact that I am able to participate on the field and conduct my play to the best of my ability and fans support me for that, for who I am, it's incredible."
Another snippet in the DallasCowboys.com article has coach Brian Schottenheimer recalling that during a ride to the airport in the offseason, his driver told him of an interaction he'd had with Pete the day before.
"He said, 'Man, I drove one of your players, and he was the most incredible human being I've ever been (around),'" Schottenheimer said. "He was talking about Pete, and it was really cool. And the players, they love one another, but he captured the moment.
"He has a better track record than I do of speeches after wins. And his language is much cleaner, which is good too. But I thought it was awesome."
Cut day, when teams have to trim the roster to 53 players, is Sunday, Aug. 30. Pete seems a likely candidate to be cut, then signed a day later to the practice squad.
Regardless, fans with $50 can buy a jersey from Dallas’ team store, which has an astonishing variety of Pete jerseys.
When are Dallas Cowboys Rivalries jerseys being released?
The NFL dropped its latest set of “Rivalries” jerseys Tuesday, Aug. 25, but Cowboys fans will have to wait another year before Dallas gets its alternate uniform. The NFL began adding alternate Nike “Rivalries” jerseys last year with the NFC West and AFC East, and this year NFC North and AFC South teams will get the jerseys.
This time next year, the NFC East and AFC West will get their alternate jerseys revealed. Per the NFL, once the alternate jersey is introduced, it will stay in the team’s rotation for three years.
Camden Brown securing a spot on the roster
The revelation of the Dallas Cowboys' preseason has been receiver Brown, who had another huge game in the win against Arizona. Brown had two catches, one of which was for 70 yards before he was tackled at the 1-yard line.
His play could mean Dallas ends up keeping six receivers on the roster, but whether Dallas goes with five or six receivers, Brown now seems close to a roster lock.
"Shoot, I just feel like I'm making the best of the opportunity whenever it comes my way," Brown told DallasCowboys.com. "I'm blessed to even say I'm in (this) locker room with a bunch of vets that's done it big. I feel like practice was really good, and that's just where it started. I start it from practice, and that's the preparation piece of it. So when I come out here, it slows down for me.
"I feel like just stacking a week on top of a week, that's how I can make this team and keep doing what I got to do. So really, that's really what it is, for real."
Dallas Cowboys next preseason game
The Dallas Cowboys close their exhibition season with their only home game of the preseason against the New Orleans Saints on Friday, Aug. 28. The 6 p.m. MT/7 p.m. kickoff will be televised on ESPN Unlimited. In Texas, it will be up to local TV affiliates to pick up the game.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Dallas Cowboys are still living in Shiyazh Pete’s world
