Brandon Aubrey‘s path to NFL stardom is anything but traditional. Once a professional soccer player and later a software engineer, he has now become one of the league’s most reliable kickers. So how did he do it?
On September 14, the 30-year-old delivered again under the bright lights by forcing overtime against the New York Giants with a game-tying 64-yard field goal for the Dallas Cowboys, thrusting him to the center of national conversation.
One of the most reliable kickers in the league, Aubrey is known for being able to convert practically anywhere from up and down the NFL field and is known for his consistency and constant availability for his team.
However, his sporting career began not with football, but soccer as a standout defender, he played for the Dallas Texans youth program, winning numerous state and international titles before starring at the University of Notre Dame in college.
His NCAA career earned him All-American recognition, and in 2017, the center back was drafted by Toronto FC in the first round of Major League Soccer’s draft but despite early promise, Aubrey‘s time in professional soccer proved short-lived.
He played for Toronto’s reserve side before joining Bethlehem Steel FC, but he struggled to secure a permanent place. So, after leaving MLS, Aubrey leaned on his degree in computer science, beginning work as a software engineer.
It was during this period that the idea of football re-emerged. Watching an NFL game with his wife, Jenn, Aubrey saw a kicker miss a routine attempt. His wife turned to him and said, “You could make that kick.”
The comment from Jenn, his high school sweetheart whom he married in 2019 and has a son named Colton with, sparked a career change. Brandon began training himself as a kicker, spending his days coding and his evenings practicing as he hatched his plan to make it to the NFL.
And his persistence paid off when the Birmingham Stallions selected him in the 2022 USFL Draft as he quickly became one of the league’s top specialists, converting 18 of 22 field goals and leading the league in kickoffs.
That same year, he helped Birmingham secure the USFL championship. In 2023, Aubrey‘s accuracy improved even further. He hit 93.3% of his field goals and was perfect on extra points, again contributing to a title-winning campaign.
Brandon Aubrey’s run with the Dallas Cowboys
His success caught the attention of the NFL, and in July 2023, the Dallas Cowboys signed him and Aubrey wasted no time proving himself as on his NFL debut, he scored ten points as Dallas defeated the Giants 40-0.
Over the following season, he continued to display consistency and range, including a 66-yard preseason kick that tied the NFL’s unofficial record, until it was beaten by Cam Little for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2025.
The defining moment of Aubrey‘s career came on September 14, 2025, with Dallas trailing late, he converted a 64-yard attempt to send the game into overtime; before he then sealed the 40-37 victory with a 46-yard kick, finishing a perfect 4-for-4 in both field goals and extra points.
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