Cowboys Kicker Brandon Aubrey Says Wife Urged Him to Leave Software Job for NFL
Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey, 31, describes his path from Major League Soccer to software engineering to the NFL. He has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons and has hit 127 of 146 field-goal attempts.
Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey, 31, said in a recent interview that he left professional soccer and worked as a software engineer before his wife pushed him toward an NFL career. He is now in his fourth season with the Cowboys and has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three.
Aubrey first played professional soccer in Major League Soccer (MLS) and then in the United Soccer League (USL). He did not choose to stop.
"I wasn't ready to retire from soccer, but when I looked around at the environment, I didn't perform as well as I needed to stick on a roster and I got cut a couple of times," Aubrey said. He added that the money in the second tier was thin, and he slipped from the MLS into the USL.
A degree and a decision
Aubrey said he had to take a hard look at whether soccer was worth pursuing. His degree was in software engineering, and he said he could make triple his soccer pay in that field.
He had just married his wife, Jenn, and did not want to set his family back. So he went into software engineering. The work, he said, was not much fun.
Jenn had a good, stable job and encouraged him to try kicking in the NFL. "With that support and a lot of hard work and commitment we were able to shift over towards being a kicker, and got a job in the USFL and eventually got noticed at the NFL level," Aubrey said.
The numbers
Aubrey has made 127 of his 146 field-goal attempts for the Cowboys, with a long of 65 yards. He has also made 146 of 151 extra points.
One kick stands out to him. In Week 2 of the 2025 season, the New York Giants went ahead 37-34 with 25 seconds left, and it looked as if Dallas would start 0-2.
The Cowboys had about 12 seconds to gain 10 yards, and they did. That left Aubrey a 64-yard attempt, which he described as "maybe even less than a coin flip for historical statistics."
He made it to tie the game and force overtime. "To be able to go and hit that one through the uprights was awesome," Aubrey said.
His day was not finished. Aubrey then kicked a 46-yard field goal as the clock expired in overtime, giving the Cowboys a 40-37 win.
Aubrey also said he had not looked after his smile as an adult, and he credited Invisalign, the clear teeth aligner, with helping restore his confidence.
