The Dallas Cowboys have themselves a kicker. And a perfect one at that. For now, anyway.
One day after releasing veteran Tristan Vizcaino and putting their trust in Brandon Aubrey, the Cowboys were rewarded with their new kicker making all nine field goals during the team's morning training camp practice in Oxnard.
Anointed by owner Jerry Jones as the team's kicker heading into the season, the former USFL star went perfect for the first time this Summer with makes from 33 yards (three times), 36, 37, 38, 39, 41 and 43 yards.
In explaining the reasoning for keeping the 28-year-old Aubrey over Vizcaino, Jones joked - sorta - about younger kickers not having time to develop the "yips."
Said Jerry, "We're very comfortable going into the season with him."
Aubrey will get his first live action - albeit preseason - Saturday afternoon when the Cowboys host the Jacksonville Jaguars at 4 p.m. in AT&T Stadium. Like former star kicker Dan Bailey (who displaced Shayne Graham and Dave Raymer in 2011), Aubrey is getting his shot by signing as a free agent and then beating out a veteran in training camp.
He's a former Plano soccer star who played at Notre Dame before turning heads with accuracy as a kicker for the Birmingham Stallions. This season in the USFL he 14 of 15 field goals and all 35 PATs.
Said Aubrey of his mentality now that he's the Cowboys' kicker: “Every rep is awesome for me, being a rookie. It's good to get these game-like reps under my belt, just so I’m more prepared for when the game does eventually come.”
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