FRISCO, Texas — Brandon Aubrey, the Dallas Cowboys’ 2023 first-team All Pro kicker, had been playing football nonstop for about a year between his role in the USFL with the Birmingham Stallions and joining the Cowboys last season.
This offseason provided Aubrey, who made his first 36 NFL field goals and set the league record for touchbacks (99), a much-needed break.
“It went well,” Aubrey said when asked about his off-season process during the 2024 Reliant Home Run Derby, in which all proceeds were donated to the Salvation Army. “[I] I rested, got healthy, relaxed and took a mental break. This is my first break since before the USFL season, so it’s been a full year of everything going well. [until now]. …You don’t really realize where you are until you slow down and stop. There was maybe a bit of mental fatigue, a bit of fatigue in that leg, so it was good to take a break.”
Aubrey’s body also forced him to relax and spend time on the couch with his family: he suffered from appendicitis. However, in an era where players choose not to regularly attend the Pro Bowl, the first-year NFL player did everything in his power to be in Las Vegas for the event. He delayed the procedure to remove his appendix until returning to Texas after the conclusion of the Pro Bowl in early February.
“Some forced the R&R there,” Aubrey said with a laugh. “I got it [removed] the day after the Pro Bowl. … It was four days before the Pro Bowl when it started hurting, so I went to the doctor and they checked it out. They did a scan and said, “Yes, you have appendicitis. “I wanted to be in the Pro Bowl, so they gave me antibiotics instead of taking them off right away, to give me 10 days, and then I made the Pro Bowl and got it. [removed] When I came home.”
He is the second Dallas Cowboy to need his appendix removed in the past calendar year, as is head coach Mike McCarthy. Youunderwent a procedure to treat acute appendicitis back in Week 14 last season. Aubrey did not take any advice from his head coach on this matter, choosing to exclusively take notes from medical professionals. As for his approach to a recall for his 2023 in which he made 36 for 38 on field goals, the kicker is opting for a fresh start. He won’t focus on trying to replicate everything that happened last year.
“It’s a rinse and reset,” Aubrey said. “You just want to go out there and play every game. I thought about it this offseason, enjoyed it, then put it aside; and moved on to this year. This year is going to be its own thing, and I also have to go out and make sure it’s a good year.”
Who knows, maybe Aubrey can make a return to the Pro Bowl in a much healthier state next season.
