FRISCO, Texas: Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey was watching on TV 9 months in the past when Brett Maher, his predecessor, missed 4 consecutive additional factors in a playoff recreation.
The former Major League Soccer prospect who by no means kicked in highschool or school was 4 years into working towards what he hoped can be a new career, unaware that his greatest alternative was simply months away — with his hometown group, no much less.
Then the 28-yr-previous rookie shanked his first kick in the NFL — a PAT, in fact. Aubrey hasn’t missed since.
“Maybe when I feel like he’s got a pretty good chance is when he missed the first PAT and he came back and made the next one and the next one and the next field goal and the next field goal,” particular groups coordinator John Fassel mentioned. “What a great sign to miss your very first attempt and not freak out.”
Aubrey is 16 of 16 on area targets, two shy of the NFL document for consecutive makes to begin a career set by Travis Coons with Cleveland eight years in the past.
The document might be in vary when the Cowboys (4-2) play the Los Angeles Rams at house Oct. 29, after their bye week. Fassel is already skittish about these questions.
“I’m trying to kind of just lay low with it,” the coach mentioned.
That’s what Fassel was doing in June when he went to see Aubrey kick for the Birmingham Stallions throughout Aubrey’s second season in the USFL. A former NFL punter noticed Fassel, so the key was out.
Or possibly there wasn’t a lot of a secret in the primary place, since Fassel felt the necessity to get on the sphere for a nearer look at an intriguing prospect.
“I tried to stay out of the way,” Fassel mentioned, “but even a tall, skinny, ugly guy stands out.”
The Cowboys caught with Maher via the 31-14 wild-card win over Tampa Bay final January, and the 19-12 loss to San Francisco in the divisional spherical, when Maher had one other PAT blocked.
Owner and basic supervisor Jerry Jones mentioned after the season the membership supposed to maneuver on at kicker, which led to Fassel’s “stealth operation” in Alabama, and now to Aubrey’s considerably distinctive standing.
“It would be my third time, technically, being a rookie,” Aubrey mentioned. “Being a rookie with MLS, rookie with the USFL, rookie here. I know what it feels like to be a rookie.”
Aubrey went to highschool in the Dallas suburb of Plano and performed on the Dallas Texans, the membership soccer program that produced retired U.S. nationwide group star Clint Dempsey.
After a career at Notre Dame that included a nationwide championship as a freshman, Aubrey was a first-spherical draft decide by Toronto FC in 2017 with a listed wage of $75,000.
Less than two years later, having already been launched by that membership and the Philadelphia Union, he confronted the prospect of creating half that in one more yr in the second tier of MLS.
Instead, he took a job as a software program engineer not removed from AT&T Stadium, the house of the Dallas Cowboys.
Not lengthy after selecting household and incomes energy over attempting to push the soccer career additional, Aubrey and his spouse have been watching a soccer recreation when she primarily mentioned, of kicking, “Hey, you can do that.”
After a couple of years of working with kicking coaches and attending scouting combines, Aubrey was the final of six kickers picked in the 2022 USFL draft.
Not lengthy after Fassel’s journey to Birmingham, Aubrey signed a $2.7 million, three-yr contract, with no assured cash and a $750,000 wage for this season.
He opened coaching camp competing with Tristan Vizcaino, who was introduced in as a midweek addition final season after Maher’s 4 consecutive PAT misses however didn’t kick in opposition to the Niners.
The Cowboys launched Vizcaino earlier than the tip of camp, clearing the best way for Aubrey, who mentioned the MLS expertise taught him to not be afraid to fail.
“I would say the only time I had a different approach was in MLS. That didn’t really work out too well for me,” Aubrey mentioned. “I was a little bit scared and nervous there. Didn’t really feel like I belonged.”
There’s little query of belonging now.
Aubrey’s first second hinting at drama with Dallas got here Monday night time in opposition to the Los Angeles Chargers, when he made a 39-yarder for a 20-17 lead with 2:19 remaining.
The protection turned it into a recreation-winner with Stephon Gilmore’s interception, and quarterback Dak Prescott revealed Aubrey’s nickname when requested concerning the kicker after the sport.
“Butter,” as in clean, mentioned Prescott, who has identified of Aubrey for years as a result of the kicker trains with one in every of Prescott’s finest associates.
“He’s an athlete playing kicker,” Prescott mentioned. “He’s been a professional. He’s mature as hell. Just butter with it, smooth. No surprise.”
And it’s no shock Aubrey understands the fickle nature of kicking even with out experiencing it himself but in the NFL. After all, he watched Maher soften down after a nice 2022 season with Dallas.
“Any time you see a guy struggle on TV, you feel for him,” Aubrey mentioned. “Especially being in that position, feeling that could have been you.”
The harsh actuality is, it nonetheless could possibly be.
After making his first 18 area targets for the Browns in 2015, Coons didn’t have a job in Cleveland a yr later, and was out of soccer not lengthy after that.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is revealed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)
