Shiyazh Pete‘s path to the NFL was anything but conventional. Before the Dallas Cowboys gave the 6-foot-9 offensive lineman an opportunity as an undrafted free agent, Pete had already spent years forcing open doors that were never handed to him.
His football career nearly began without a traditional recruiting pipeline. Now, after earning his way through college and eventually reaching the NFL, Pete is competing for a roster spot in Dallas.
Football was not always the obvious path for Shiyazh Pete
Pete was born in Ronan, Montana, in 2003 while his father was serving in the military. His family later moved to Shiprock, New Mexico, around his freshman year of high school.
Unlike many players who eventually reach the NFL, Pete did not grow up going from one elite youth football camp to another. He played judo and martial arts as a child and ultimately chose football over basketball because he wanted the more physical sport.
COVID-19 pandemic disrupted Pete’s senior season
Pete played only five games during the spring of 2021, leaving him with very little exposure to college recruiters. His parents contacted several programs, but the opportunities were limited.
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The best path available to him was a preferred walk-on opportunity at New Mexico State. He turned a walk-on opportunity into a career. Pete did not play during his first season at New Mexico State. That could have been the point where the dream started to disappear. Instead, he kept working.
As a redshirt freshman in 2022, Pete appeared in 12 games and started nine. New Mexico State finished that season with a Quick Lane Bowl victory over Bowling Green, while the program established a school record with 25 rushing touchdowns. But his biggest breakthrough came in 2023.
Pete started all 15 games for a New Mexico State team that went 10-5. The Aggies reached the Conference USA championship game and the New Mexico Bowl, while Pete earned first-team All-Conference USA honors. That season changed the trajectory of his career.
Another setback did not stop him
Pete’s progress was interrupted in 2024 when an injury forced him to miss the first six games of the season. He returned to the lineup and started the final six games at left tackle before transferring to Kentucky for his final year of eligibility.
Playing in the SEC gave Pete another opportunity to prove that his game could translate against higher-level competition. After finishing his college career, the Cowboys signed him following the 2026 NFL Draft. The player who once had to fight for a preferred walk-on spot was suddenly competing for a job in the NFL.
The Cowboys see something worth developing
Pete is now listed at roughly 6-foot-9 and more than 300 pounds, giving Dallas an unusual physical profile along its offensive line.
He has also shown enough versatility to work at both tackle and guard. That matters for an undrafted rookie because roster decisions are not based solely on starting ability. Coaches also value players who can provide emergency depth at multiple positions.
Schottenheimer has repeatedly highlighted Pete’s work ethic and ability to capitalize on opportunities. “Maybe one of the hardest workers I’ve been around, maximized all his opportunities,” Schottenheimer said. That description fits Pete’s entire journey.
From overlooked prospect to NFL opportunity
Pete’s story is not simply about making an NFL roster. It is about how many times he had to create an opportunity after the obvious path disappeared.
There was no major youth football pipeline. His high school career was shortened by COVID-19. College recruiting produced a walk-on opportunity rather than a scholarship. Pete kept playing anyway.
Now he is one preseason game away from finding out whether that persistence can carry him all the way onto the Cowboys’ 53-man roster. Whatever happens next, the road from Shiprock to Dallas has already been earned the hard way.
