Texas — When Brian Schottenheimer had undrafted rookie offensive lineman Shiyazh Pete break the team down after the Dallas Cowboys beat the Arizona Cardinals, the head coach had no idea the moment would go viral
“It’s amazing that our social media team, the media in general, captured it because it was what this team and really the game of football is all about,” Schottenheimer said. “It’s a storyline where you have a guy who’s fighting his butt off trying to make the team, but when you give him an opportunity, deservedly so, to address the group, it was very raw. It was very authentic.”
Pete became the first member of the Navajo Nation, which is the largest Native American reservation in the United States, to join an NFL team when he signed with the Cowboys. Playing in Arizona, home to a sizable Native American population, Pete had a large number of fans in the stadium.
Because of the reaction, Schottenheimer invited Pete to talk to the team postgame.
Well, that was an incredible win, Pete told
“Well, that was an incredible win,” Pete told the team on a video released by the Cowboys. “I am very fortunate to be amongst you and to play in the same field and wear the same star holden on our chest. And I’m proud of us, proud of how far we’ve come. Man, this game, fate brought us here as strangers, but this game, this star, this team will make us brothers.”
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The locker room erupted, just the way the fans reacted inside the stadium.
“The standing ovation was incredible,” Pete said. “I 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.”
Pete played just six snaps in the fourth quarter and is a long shot to make the roster, but the reaction from fans was overwhelming to him.
It’s definitely etched in the history books, I’ll
“It’s definitely etched in the history books, I’ll tell you that. It was incredible,” Pete said. “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.”
Schottenheimer recalled that during a ride to the airport in the offseason, the 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,'” 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.”
Source: www.espn.com
