Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey earns first NFC Player of the Week award
Dallas Cowboys rookie kicker Brandon Aubrey is making a name for himself with his pinpoint accuracy and this week, he earned his very first award from the league. He won the NFC’s Special Teams Player of the Week award after notching a new career-long on a field goal (58 yards) in Sunday’s win over the L.A. Rams.
The award has been several weeks in the making as the former Notre Dame soccer player continues crushing kicks through the uprights. On Sunday, he tied Cleveland Browns kicker Travis Coons’ league record, set in 2015, for consecutive makes to start a career with 18.
The NFC award was the first for a Cowboys kicker since Brett Maher earned it once in 2019 and twice in 2018. The last Dallas kicker to receive the award as a rookie was Dan Bailey in 2011. It was also just the second weekly NFL award for a Cowboys player this season. Edge rusher Micah Parsons won NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his Week 2 performance against the Jets.
Across the board, he’s been perfect, save for one missed extra-point attempt. The kick on Sunday was also his new career-long, a make from 58 yards out.
Aubrey is just the second kicker in league history to start his career 18-for-18 on field goals. He’s 8-for-8 from 20-29 yards, 6-for-6 from 30-39, 1-1 from 40-49 and 3-for-3 from 50-59.
After the win over the Chargers before the bye, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott christened Aubrey, either purposefully or inadvertently, with a brand new nickname – Butter Aubrey.
“He’s butter. Butter Aubrey,” Prescott said post-game. “Smooth. Always has been since the day that he showed up.”
The Cowboys signed Aubrey after he wrapped up a season with the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions. To make things sweeter, he grew up in DFW, playing soccer for Plano High School. He initially had an MLS career and a collegiate career playing soccer for Notre Dame.
In 2017, Aubrey was a first-round draft pick for Toronto F.C. of the MLS. They released him after one season, and he then signed with the United Soccer League team Bethlehem Steel.
Cowboys loving rookie kicker Brandon Aubrey
Before the season, Jerry Jones was adamant that Aubrey’s lack of experience wasn’t a mark against him.
Two weeks into the preseason, the Cowboys released the only other kicker on the roster, Tristan Vizcaino, in order to give Aubrey more of the reps. So far, the strategy has worked out well for Dallas.
“No. Not at all,” Jones said regarding his level of concern about the rookie’s experience. “Because sometimes I’ve seen what happens when you go into one with someone who’s kicked before and I didn’t like that. That doesn’t necessarily ensure you anything.”
Last season, the Cowboys had a consistent, veteran option in Brett Maher. Maher hit on 90.6% of his field goals and 50 of 53 extra-point attempts. In the postseason, he made two field goals with a long of 43. However, he went 1-for-6 on extra points.