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Cowboys' undrafted rookie goes viral for emotional locker-room speech after preseason win
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- Cowboys' undrafted rookie goes viral for emotional locker-room speech after preseason win
Even if his NFL journey goes no further than the six snaps he played in Saturday night's preseason game against the Cardinals , rookie offensive lineman Shiyazh Pete had a moment most will only ever dream of.
The undrafted 23-year-old has become an overnight fan favorite based on the emotional breakdown he gave to the team in the locker room immediately following the Cowboys ' 34-13 win. But Pete actually had a whole nation of supporters prior to the clip going viral.
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The 6-foot-9-inch 309-pounder is the first member of the Navajo Nation to ever sign with an NFL team. Pete is also part Salish. Thousands of his fellow Native Americans- including the Navajo Nation president- packed the lower bowl of State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. in hopes of watching him get into the contest.
Pete played six plays on the fourth-quarter drive that ended with a 15-yard touchdown run by Phil Mafah . He left the field to a standing ovation from his people.
Pete says he thought there might be something of a Navajo Nation presence at the game, given the demographics of the Phoenix area, but even he was surprised at just how many supporters he had in attendance; wearing his jersey, holding signs, screaming his name.
"The standing ovation was incredible," Pete said . "Want to take the moment to thank all the fans, and the people who showed up to support me, and to celebrate my name and to wear my jersey. I lost count of how many Navajo Nation flags I saw. I saw a Salish nation flag as well, which was awesome."
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Pete started his college career under the football radar at New Mexico State. Even after playing for Kentucky in his final season of eligibility, though, the outpouring of personal support from a crowd of 62,000- so many of whom looked like him- was hard for Pete to put into perspective.
"What did I see? I saw hope, courage. It was surreal. It is hard to find the words to describe it. English probably isn't the language I would describe it in." Pete then said something in Navajo, also known as Diné bizaad , and said, "It was that."
There apparently is no direct translation to English.
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"Folks back home, folks upstairs at our stadium will know." Pete explained.
The scene inside the stadium was something Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said he had never witnessed in a lifetime of being on NFL sidelines. And it was moving enough that he asked Pete to break down the team after the decisive win.
As millions have now seen on social media, Pete knocked the impromptu speech out of the park.
"Well, that was an incredible win, and I am very fortunate to be amongst you and to play on the same field, wear the same star holden on our chest. And I'm proud of us. I'm proud of how far we've come. Man..." Pete trailed off before deciding on his dramatic finish. "Fate brought us here as strangers, but this game, this star, this team will make us brothers."
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Just try to watch it without getting choked up. It can't be done.
Pete's Cowboys teammates exploded, with none other than brand-new signee and future Hall of Famer Von Miller being among the first to high-five the big rookie.
"That's a bar! That's a bar!" Miller can be heard shouting.
After the emotion of the moment had waned, Schottenheimer spoke about how much work Pete has put in since joining the Cowboys, making the often difficult transition from the tackle position he played in college to guard while in training camp.
"I'll say this, maybe one of the hardest workers I've been around," Schottenheimer said of Pete. "Maximized all his opportunities. Everyone loves him because he's like the way he is today. And like I said, when he broke it down, I mean the room went crazy just because he spoke from the heart and he talked about how this family has brought us all together and now we're bonded for life."
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The cold, hard reality of the NFL, though, is that it is still a numbers game. Pete remains a long shot to make the 53-man roster, no matter how great his backstory is or how many coaches, players, and fans are rooting for him after Saturday's exhibition.
But for now, just as he saw reflected back to him from the stands in Arizona , Pete has hope.
And courage.
And, just maybe, something there is no English word for.
Todd is on X at @ToddBrock24f7 . Also, follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys' undrafted rookie goes viral for emotional locker-room speech after preseason win
