From the MLS to the NFL, the curious case of Brandon Aubrey, the Dallas Cowboys kicker

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.

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).

Aubrey kicks for Cowboys

Now, in 2025, he is the starting kicker for the Dallas Cowboys. His salary in the MLS in 2017 was $65,000, while the minimum salary in the NFL in 2025 is $1.03 million. It feels like a good move.

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