Brandon Aubrey's pro soccer background brings unique wrinkle with new kickoff rules

Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey, who had a brief career in MLS before becoming one of the best kickers in the NFL, is excited for the new kickoff rules and thinks his soccer background could help out in a unique way.

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Dallas Cowboys Brandon Aubrey has had a unique journey to the NFL.

Aubrey is a former first-round pick in the MLS Draft, where he had a brief stint with the Toronto FC. He then played with Bethlehem Steel FC of the USL, before shifting his focus to football.

Aubrey played in all ten games of the 2022 USFL season for the Birmingham Stallions, making 18-of-22 field goals and 22-of-24 extra points. After winning the USFL championship, Aubrey returned for the 2023 season, where he converted 14-of-15 field goals and 35-of-25 extra points en route to a second straight championship.

After the season, Aubrey's contract was terminated, and he ultimately got his shot in the NFL with the Cowboys. He made an immediate impact, converting 36-of-38 field goals, earning first-team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl selection.

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Aubrey was the NFL's leading scorer in 2023.

Now, he hopes to continue his success, and he believes a rule change could help him excel even more when he's on the field. Aubrey discussed the NFL's new kickoff rules and said his soccer background will help him in a unique way.

Here’s what the new NFL kickoff will look like this season: pic.twitter.com/vtR5bqGZLK

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 26, 2024

"I love it," Aubrey said about the new rule. "You have to work with hitting balls in different ways, putting my foot on the ball in slightly different spots with different spots of my foot. Maybe wrapping my foot around it. I think [the soccer background] will help. Going out on the soccer field and workshopping is a skill that I've taken with me to this kickoff."

"It's going to give me a chance to save my leg and hit some unique balls. [Fassel] is aggressive, so he'll give me all the opportunity in the world to go out there and try things, make some mistakes and live with them."

Special teams coordinator Jim Fassel also said he anticipates Aubrey bringing a never-before-seen twist to the kickoff game thanks to his skillset.

"I think there's a place for knuckleballs, squirrelly balls that we're going to have to catch and they're probably going to have to do the same," he said. "The kickoff specialist, in my opinion, their skills have totally flipped 180. I'm expecting a lot of unknown.

The NFL's goal with the new kickoff rules were to make that aspect of the game interesting again.

If kickers approach kickoffs in 2024 with the same mindset as Aubrey, it could bring a new level of excitement to a portion of the game that was becoming increasingly irrelevant.