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Brandon Aubrey

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Brandon Aubrey
Aubrey in 2018
Personal information
Birth nameBrandon Aubrey
Born (1995-03-14) March 14, 1995 (age 29)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Association football career
Position(s) Centre-back
Youth career
2005–2013 Dallas Texans SC
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2016 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 76 (15)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017 Toronto FC 0 (0)
2017Toronto FC II (loan) 21 (0)
2018 Bethlehem Steel FC 26 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 15, 2018

American football career
No. 17 – Dallas Cowboys
Position:Placekicker
Personal information
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:218 lb (99 kg)
Career information
High school:Plano (Plano, Texas)
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 8, 2024
Field goals made:54
Field goal attempts:58
Field goal %:93.1
Points scored:223
Longest field goal:65
Touchbacks:117
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Brandon Aubrey (born March 14, 1995) is an American multi-sport athlete who plays as a placekicker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He has played professional soccer as a center-back. He is currently regarded as one of the best placekickers in the NFL.

In 2017, Aubrey was drafted by Toronto FC of Major League Soccer and played for the club's reserve team before moving to Bethlehem Steel FC. Aubrey then switched to American football and played for the Birmingham Stallions of the United States Football League (USFL) in 2022 and 2023 before being signed by the Cowboys in 2023.

Soccer career

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Youth career

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Aubrey played youth soccer with Dallas Texans SC. He captained the '95 team from 2008 to 2010 and during his time with the team, they won five State Cup titles, were regional finalist in 2009, were Classic League grand champions in 2009 and 2010, were 2009 Premiere League West champions, and also won the 2008 Gothia Cup (Sweden), the 2009 Dallas Cup, the 2009 Disney Showcase, and the 2009 Tivoli Cup (Denmark).[1] He was named to USSDA All-Select Team in 2011–12 and helped them win the U17 Disney Showcase twice.[1]

Aubrey played his high school freshman and sophomore seasons at Dallas Jesuit in Dallas, Texas in 2010 and 2011, where he was named Honorable Mention All-District as a freshman and First Team All-District as a sophomore.[1]

College career

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Aubrey played four years of college soccer at the University of Notre Dame between 2013 and 2016, wherein 2016 Aubrey was named NSCAA Third Team All-American, NSCAA First Team All-South Region, First Team All-ACC, and NSCAA Academic All-American.[2]

Professional career

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Toronto FC

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Aubrey playing for Bethlehem Steel FC in 2018

Aubrey was selected in the first round (21st overall) of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft by Toronto FC.[3] Aubrey was loaned to the second team, Toronto FC II, in the USL for the 2017 season.[4] He made his professional debut on March 25, 2017, starting for Toronto FC II against the Phoenix Rising FC.[5]

Bethlehem Steel FC

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In January 2018, Aubrey signed with USL club Bethlehem Steel FC.[6] He was released by the club at the end of the 2018 season.[7]

American football career

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After being released from the Bethlehem Steel FC in 2018, Aubrey decided to use his degree from Notre Dame to become a software engineer. While watching an NFL game on TV in 2019, a placekicker missed a field goal and his wife told him: "You could do that."[8] From 2019 to 2022, Aubrey worked with a former Mississippi State kicker and kicking coach Brian Egan three times a week.[9]

Birmingham Stallions

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2022 season

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Aubrey was drafted as a placekicker by the Birmingham Stallions in the 2022 USFL draft and made his debut as a professional American football player on April 16, 2022.[10] Aubrey played in all 10 games making 18 of his 22 field goal attempts (81.8%) and 22 of his 24 extra-point attempts (91.7%), which both led the league. He also had a league-leading 55 kickoffs with a 66.5-yard average. On June 16, Aubrey was named to the inaugural All-USFL Team.[11] After winning the Divisional Finals, 31–17, the Stallions beat the Philadelphia Stars in the 2022 USFL championship game, 33–30. In the game, he was successful on two of his three attempts with a 42-yard long and made three of his four extra-point tries.[12]

2023 season

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Aubrey re-signed with the Stallions for the 2023 season. He finished the season 14-for-15 (93.3%) on field goals with a 49-yard long while also finishing 35-for-35 (100.0%) on extra points, which led the league. He also added a league-leading 57 kickoffs and six touchbacks.[13] The Stallions finished the regular season with a 8–2 record, making them the champions of the South Division.[14] After winning the Divisional Finals against New Orleans Breakers, 47–22, the Stallions made it to their second-straight USFL championship game. During the game, Aubrey made all four of his extra-point attempts to help the Stallions win, 28–12.[15]

Dallas Cowboys

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The Stallions terminated Aubrey's contract on July 3, 2023,[16] allowing him to sign with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League on July 6.[17]

In his NFL debut, Aubrey connected on both of his field goal attempts with a long of 38 and made four of his five extra-point attempts in the Cowboys 40–0 blowout of the New York Giants.[18] In Week 8 against the Los Angeles Rams, Aubrey accounted for 11 points including a 58-yard field goal, and was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts, as well as NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October.[19][20] In the next game against the Philadelphia Eagles, he set an NFL record for most consecutive field goals made to start a career with his 19th made attempt, beating the previous holder Travis Coons.[21] During Week 14 against the Eagles, Aubrey became the first kicker in NFL history to make two field goals from 59+ yards in the same game (59, 60). He would then be named Sunday Night Football Player of the Game, along with Dak Prescott and Stephon Gilmore.[22] For his performance, Aubrey earned his second NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award.[23]

On August 17, 2024, Aubrey kicked a 66-yard field goal in a preseason Week 2 game against the Las Vegas Raiders, unofficially tying the NFL record.[24] In Week 1 of the regular season, Aubrey nearly kicked another 66-yard field goal against the Cleveland Browns, which would have officially tied the NFL record. However, the Cowboys were penalized for a delay of game penalty, negating the field goal.[25] Two weeks later, in a Week 3 game against the Baltimore Ravens, Aubrey kicked a 65-yard field goal, officially breaking Brett Maher's record for the longest made field goal in Cowboys franchise history, along with being the second-longest field goal in NFL history.[26]

Statistics

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College soccer

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School Season Division Apps Goals
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2013 Div. I 14 0
2014 21 3
2015 20 3
2016 21 9
Career total 76 15

Club soccer

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[27]

Club Season League Playoffs National Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Toronto FC 2017 MLS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Toronto FC II (loan) 2017 USL 21 0 21 0
Bethlehem Steel FC 2018 USL 26 0 2 0 28 0
Career total 47 0 0 0 0 0 49 0

USFL

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Legend
USFL champion
USFL record
Led the league
Bold Career high

Regular season

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General Field goals PATs Kickoffs Points
Season Team GP FGM FGA FG% Blk Lng XPM XPA XP% KO Avg TBs Pts
2022 BIR 10 18 22 81.8% 0 49 22 24 91.7% 55 66.5 7 76
2023 BIR 10 14 15 93.3% 0 49 35 35 100.0% 57 70.1 6 77
USFL career 20 32 37 86.5% 0 49 57 59 96.6% 112 68.3 13 153

Postseason

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General Field goals PATs Kickoffs Points
Season Team GP FGM FGA FG% Blk Lng XPM XPA XP% KO Avg TBs Pts
2022 BIR 2 3 5 60.0% 0 42 7 8 87.5% 12 64.9 0 16
2023 BIR 2 2 2 100.0% 0 41 9 10 90.0% 14 66.6 4 15
USFL career 4 5 7 71.4% 0 42 16 18 88.9% 26 65.8 4 29

NFL

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Legend
NFL record
Led the league
Bold Career high

Regular season

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General Field goals PATs Kickoffs Points
Season Team GP FGM FGA FG% Blk Lng XPM XPA XP% KO Avg TBs Pts
2023 DAL 17 36 38 94.7 1 60 49 52 94.2 109 64.8 99 157
2024 DAL 6 17 19 89.5 0 65 9 9 100.0 33 60.4 16 60
NFL career 23 53 57 92.9 1 65 58 61 93.0 142 63.8 115 217

NFL records

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  • Most consecutive field goals made to start a career: 36 (2023)[21]
  • Most field goals made of 50+ yards without a miss in a single season: 10 (2023)
  • Most kickoffs for touchbacks in a single season: 99 (2023)[28]
  • Highest field goal percentage by a rookie in a single season: 94.7% (2023)
  • First player to make their first 10 field goal attempts in their first three games (Super Bowl era)[29]
  • First player to make two 59+ yard field goals in a single game (December 10, 2023, vs. Philadelphia Eagles)[30]
  • Longest field goal in the first quarter of a game: 65 yards (September 22, 2024, vs. Baltimore Ravens)

Career honors

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Soccer

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NCAA

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ACC

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Football

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USFL

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NFL

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Brandon Aubrey Notre Dame profile". Notre Dame Athletics. July 9, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  2. ^ "Brandon Aubrey". Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  3. ^ Grossi, James (January 14, 2017). "Toronto FC "surprised" to see highly touted Brandon Aubrey fall to No. 21". Major League Soccer.
  4. ^ Villella, Evan (January 10, 2018). "Steel add Brandon Aubrey to squad". Brotherly Game.
  5. ^ "Brandon Aubrey profile". OSBD Sports.
  6. ^ "Bethlehem Steel FC Sign Defender Brandon Aubrey". Philadelphia Union. January 10, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  7. ^ "Bethlehem Steel FC Announces Roster Moves with 2019 in Mind". Archived from the original on November 21, 2018. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  8. ^ Dunau, Casey (September 8, 2023). "MLS to NFL: Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey completes 6-year journey". MLSSoccer.com. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  9. ^ Eisenberg, Jeff (December 20, 2023). "From 9-to-5 to the NFL: Brandon Aubrey's incredible journey to the Dallas Cowboys". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  10. ^ Shepkowski, Nick (February 24, 2022). "Notre Dame futboler drafted by USFL team". Fighting Irish Wire. USA Today. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  11. ^ "2022 ALL-USFL TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS UNVEILED". The USFL.com. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  12. ^ "Birmingham Stallions Vs Philadelphia Stars – July 3, 2022". The USFL.com. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  13. ^ "Former MLS draft pick, USFL player battling to become Cowboys' kicker for 2023 season". WFAA.com. August 6, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  14. ^ "2023 USFL DIVISION STANDINGS". FoxSports.com. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  15. ^ "New Orleans Breaks Vs Birmingham Stallions – June 25, 2023". TheUSFL.com. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  16. ^ @USFLStallions (July 3, 2023). "Contract Terminated / Signing with NFL Team" (Tweet). Retrieved July 5, 2023 – via Twitter.
  17. ^ Harris, Nick (July 6, 2023). "Cowboys Sign Kicker Brandon Aubrey From USFL". DallasCowboys.com. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  18. ^ "Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants - September 10th, 2023". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  19. ^ Gordon, Grant (November 1, 2023). "Bengals QB Joe Burrow, Eagles QB Jalen Hurts highlight Players of the Week". NFL.com. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  20. ^ Gordon, Grant (November 2, 2023). "Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill, Eagles WR A.J. Brown highlight October Players of the Month". NFL.com. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  21. ^ a b Podell, Garrett (November 5, 2023). "Cowboys rookie kicker Brandon Aubrey breaks NFL record for most consecutive made field goals to start a career". CBSSports.com. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  22. ^ "Cowboys' Aubrey hits from 60 and 59 yards while extending record to 30 straight FGs to start career". AP News. December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  23. ^ Gordon, Grant (December 13, 2023). "New York QBs Zach Wilson, Tommy DeVito highlight Players of the Week". NFL.com. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  24. ^ Archer, Todd (August 18, 2024). "Aubrey fires up Cowboys with 66-yard field goal". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  25. ^ Podell, Garrett (September 8, 2024). "What kept Cowboys' Brandon Aubrey's 66-yard FG from being snapped on time? Why not from 71 yards? This is why". CBSSports.com. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  26. ^ Leslie, Mike (September 22, 2024). "Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey drills a monster 65-yard field goal to get Dallas on the board". WFAA. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  27. ^ Brandon Aubrey at Soccerway
  28. ^ Podell, Garrett (January 5, 2024). "Cowboys 'royalty rookie' Brandon Aubrey doesn't believe in jinxes, zeroes in on greatest FG season ever". CBSSports. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  29. ^ Youmans, Kyle (September 29, 2023). "Big Facts: Brandon Aubrey's Record-Breaking Start". Dallas Cowboys. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  30. ^ Williams, Charean (December 11, 2023). "Brandon Aubrey puts on kicking clinic Sunday, now 30-for-30 on FGs in his career". NBCSports. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
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