Shiyazh Pete

Shiyazh Tastohyinya Pete (born May 25, 2003) is an American professional football offensive tackle. He played college football for the New Mexico State Aggies and Kentucky Wildcats before signing with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) as an undrafted free agent.

Pete is the first member of the Navajo Nation to sign with an NFL team. He is also part Salish.

Early life Left to right: Father, 1st Lt. Natani Pete, Shiyazh Pete, special agent Kevin Cheek, sister April Pete at Fort Carson National American Indian Heritage Month Observance in 2013 Pete was born on May 25, 2003, in Ronan, Montana, on the Flathead Indian Reservation. His father, Natani, is from the Navajo and Salish tribes and hails from Arlee, Montana, while his mother, Geraldine, is Navajo and comes from Tółikan (Sweetwater), Arizona. Pete grew up in Missoula, Montana, where he practiced a variety of sports including judo, earning a yellow belt, and winning a gold medal at the 2011 Big Sky State Games in the ages 8–9 division. His family moved around often; he later lived in Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. Pete first played football in the seventh grade. In 2022, he began the season as a backup left tackle before being promoted to the starting job for the final nine games of the season. Ahead of his redshirt junior season in 2024, Pete was named to the preseason watchlist for both the Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award. However, he suffered an ankle injury in fall camp and missed the first six games of the season. Upon his return to play, Pete started the final six games of the year at left tackle. After the 2024 season, Pete entered the NCAA transfer portal. Pete received offers from programs such as Iowa State, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Stanford, USC, and Vanderbilt. On January 19, 2025, he verbally committed to the Kentucky Wildcats.

Kentucky Pete signed with the Wildcats on the final day of the winter transfer window. He enrolled at Kentucky in January 2025, in time for winter workouts and spring practices. Despite taking a visit to Vanderbilt, where his former head coach Jerry Kill had been hired, Pete told the Lexington Herald-Leader that he had chosen the Wildcats due to the team's pro-style offense. Pete went on to start all 12 games at left tackle that year.

Pete accepted an invitation to play in the Hula Bowl to close his college career.

Professional career

Pete participated in Kentucky's pro day on March 11, 2026. Pete was ranked as the 36th-best offensive tackle prospect in the draft by ESPN analyst Jordan Reid, was ranked as the 46th-best offensive tackle by ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr., and was ranked as the 54th-best offensive tackle in the draft by The Athletic analyst Dane Brugler. He went unselected in the 2026 NFL draft. He had been scouted by Dallas offensive line coach Conor Riley at Kentucky's pro day the previous month.

Pete made his professional debut in the Cowboys' preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks on August 15, 2026. Dallas won 17–7. The following week, Pete played in a road matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Navajo Nation members attended the game in large numbers and gave Pete a standing ovation as he left the field following the 34–13 win. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren also attended. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer asked Pete to address the team in the locker room after the game. The Cowboys released video of his remarks the following morning, and it circulated widely online.

Personal life Pete draws on his Navajo and Salish heritage in describing his approach to football. His father was in the U.S. Marine Corps before becoming a Captain in the U.S. Army, and his mother is an educator. "I'd say [tradition] plays a large part in my life. It's a part of my core beliefs as a person and something I'll carry on with me for the rest of my life," he said in 2021. He was also described by the Lexington Herald-Leader as "one of the highest profile Native American athletes in the country." He entered NMSU as a computer science major, but changed it to communications after incoming head coach Jerry Kill moved practice time to the morning, interfering with his schedule. The new coaching staff awarded Pete a full scholarship. Upon his transfer to Kentucky, he continued taking online classes at NMSU to finish his bachelor's degree (which he earned in May 2025) while concurrently studying towards a graduate certificate in public administration at Kentucky.

Aside from speaking English and Navajo, he also knows basic American Sign Language.