From the MLS to the NFL, the curious case of Brandon Aubrey, the Dallas Cowboys kicker
Seeking to consolidate a position with the Texan franchise, we see the rare switch between Major League Soccer and the National Football League.
Brandon Aubrey has been involved in soccer for a significant portion of his life, and his passion for the sport further blossomed during his time at university. In 2017, he was selected as the twenty-first overall pick in the first round of the Major League Soccer SuperDraft by Toronto FC, coming from Notre Dame.
Aubrey’s soccer beginnings
Not securing a place in the first team, he decided to try his luck with Toronto FC II in the USL Championship. Later on, he moved to Bethlehem Steel, the affiliate of the Philadelphia Union.
⚽️🤝🏈
— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) September 11, 2023
Shoutout to Brandon Aubrey on becoming the first former USL player to convert a field goal in the NFL! pic.twitter.com/aLxkKoxWAn
NFL kicking sparked by Aubrey’s wife
On one occasion, while watching an NFL game on television with his wife, she said to him, “You could do that,” after seeing the team’s kickers in action. That was the spark.
Following this, he made the decision to take a chance in the sport, hiring a coach and practicing on his own during the covid-19 pandemic. Three years later, the Birmingham Stallions selected him as the starting kicker for the 2022 season, which marked the inaugural campaign of the USFL (United States Football League).
Brandon Aubrey was drafted from Norte Dame to play for Toronto FC in MLS in 2017
— MLS Buzz (@MLS_Buzz) September 11, 2023
He got released from there after 1 season and failed to stick in USL.. he was watching an NFL game with his wife where she told him “you could do that” after watching the kickers
He began… pic.twitter.com/hAb0NrwhJE
Aubrey kicks for Cowboys
Now, in 2023, he is the starting kicker for the Dallas Cowboys. In Week 1, during the convincing 40-0 victory over the New York Giants, although he missed the first extra point attempt, he quickly recovered and successfully kicked two field goals: the first from 21 yards and the second from 38 yards. He also made four extra point attempts.
His salary in the MLS in 2017 was $65,000, while the minimum salary in the NFL in 2023 is $750,000. It feels like a good move.