Dak Prescott christens Cowboys rookie kicker Brandon Aubrey with new nickname
The Dallas Cowboys appear to have found an absolute hidden gem with rookie kicker Brandon Aubrey. The former MLS draft pick knocked through his 15th and 16th consecutive field goals on Monday night against the Los Angeles Chargers. His total is just two makes behind former Cleveland Browns kicker Travis Coons’ league record, set in 2015.
After the win, 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.”
Aubrey is just the sixth kicker in league history to start his career 16-for-16 on field goals. Across the board, he’s been perfect, save for one missed extra-point attempt. He’s 7-for-7 from 20-29 yards, 6-for-6 from 30-39, 1-1 from 40-49 and 2-for-2 from 50-59. His career-long so far is from 55 yards out.
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.
Aubrey made his debut as a football player after being selected in the USFL’s 2022 Draft by Birmingham. His contract with the Stallions lapsed on July 3. During the season, he went 14-for-15 on field goals and 35-for-35 on point-after attempts.
Cowboys feeling good about rookie kicker
Before the season, Jerry Jones was adamant that Aubrey’s lack of experience wasn’t a mark against him.
“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.
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.