How Cowboys’ Dak Prescott knew Brandon Aubrey was special before kicker’s historic start to NFL career

FRISCO, Texas —  Dallas Cowboys rookie kicker Brandon Aubrey is living the dream as a pro athlete. He’s in his third professional sports league — MLS to USFL to NFL– and just won NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts in the Cowboys’ 33-13 demolition of the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 14. 

“Yeah, it’s awesome,” Aubrey said Wednesday. “I’m thankful for the recognition for the opportunity to go out there and kick long field goals to be up for awards like that. So I’m thankful for my coaching staff to give me those opportunities.”

The former Notre Dame collegiate soccer player drained field goals of 60, 59, 50 and 45 yards to extend his NFL record for the most made field goals to start a career to 30. The record for most made field goals to start a career before Aubrey broke it was 16. He also drilled all three of his extra points. That means he totaled 15 points — two more than Philadelphia scored as a team — in Week 14.  

 Despite there being some uneasiness about bringing in a kicker who had never been in the NFL before, Dallas has gone out of its way to provide Aubrey with field goal opportunities instead of punting when closer to midfield than the end zone.

“There’s always going to skepticism, you talk about everything with every player,” McCarthy said Wednesday. “Where they’re coming from, experience level and how it fits. You can never not recognize the talent. I thought that the personnel department did a nice job. We had a group of kickers that they ranked and that they had different thoughts and beliefs on them. It’s hard to rank a guy who hasn’t kicked in the league versus a guy who has. I think the best thing we did was make a decision. Sometimes you operate too quickly and it can bite you.” 

However, handing Aubrey the kicker title over training camp participant Tristan Vizcaino early in camp is something McCarthy would do every single time if…

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Author : Garrett Podell

Publish date : 2023-12-15 19:00:03

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