Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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52 SEPT. 27, 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TODD D. BURLAGE I n a short period of time, Brandon Aubrey has become much more than a placekicker for the Dallas Cowboys. He's also become an editor of the NFL record book. The St. Louis native added to his re- markable league legacy Sept. 14 when the former Irish soccer star did some- thing that no kicker in NFL history had ever done. With five seconds left in the game, and the New York Giants leading the Cowboys 37-34, Aubrey easily nailed a 64-yard field goal as time expired in regulation to tie things up, 37-37. Then, in overtime, Aubrey hit a 46-yard field goal — again as time expired in the extra session — to send the Cowboys to a dra- matic walk-off, 40-37 comeback win. According to a social media post from ESPN analyst Adam Schefter, Aubrey's heroics made him the first kicker in NFL history to convert a game-tying field goal as time expired in regulation and a game-winning field goal as time expired in the 10-minute overtime session. A u b r e y w a s a s k e d a b o u t t h e 64-yarder that forced overtime, and the St. Louis native said the kick actually came off of his foot "a little funky." Af- terward, Aubrey revealed on ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show that he's never been overly meticulous with his game prep. "I'm more of a feel kicker. I don't watch a whole lot of film on myself," Aubrey said. "If you pay attention closely, not any single kick is exactly the same for me as the last one. "You don't want to be back in your steps right before you kick and be like, 'Wow, I missed my spot by like a half an inch. How do I recover from this?' You just want to turn your brain off and kick the freaking ball." Au b rey 's ga m e -w i n n i n g h e ro i c s against the Giants caught the attention of longtime Cowboys owner and gen- eral manager Jerry Jones. Aubrey is in the final year of his three-year contract with the Cowboys, and if not re-signed, the two-time All-Pro will become a re- stricted free agent after this season. According to Spotrac.com, Aubrey is currently one of the lowest-paid kickers in the league at $898,333 per year. When asked during a radio interview two days after Aubrey's game-winning heroics about a possible con- tract extension, Jones made it clear they want to keep him around. "We'll be looking at that," he said. "Probably have had communications since the kick. [Aubrey] is certainly in our future." A star soccer player at Notre Dame from 2013-16, Aubrey on a whim — and on the advice of his wife — decided to take up place-kicking, trained for two years, improved, paid his dues, spent two years with the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL and then landed with the Cowboys in 2023 as an un- drafted free agent. Since then, Aubrey has been breaking league records seem- ingly in every game he plays. As a rookie in 2023, Aubrey made his first 35 field goals, an all-time record for a kicker to start his career. Aubrey also already has four field goals of 60 or more yards, which ties an NFL record. And his 64-yarder against the Giants coupled with the 65-yarder he hit last season gave the 30-year-old star two of the four longest field goals in NFL history. ✦ FIGHTING IRISH HEADLINERS Spencer Schrader (Played at Notre Dame in 2023), PK, Indianapolis Colts, NFL Playing for his home state Indianapolis Colts, the Westfield, Ind., native nailed a 45-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Colts to a 29-28 win over the Denver Broncos Sept. 14. In two games with the Colts this season, Spencer had converted all 9 of his field goal attempts and all 5 of his point-after tries. Xavier Watts (2020-24), S, Atlanta Falcons, NFL In what's likely to be the first of many interceptions to come, this former two-time Irish All-American recorded his first pickoff in a 22-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings Sept. 14. The Omaha, Neb., native also added 2 tackles in the Falcons' victory. Through two games during his rookie season, the 2025 third-round draft pick had 8 tackles (7 solo), 3 passes defended and the 1 interception. Brock Wright (2017-20), TE, Detroit Lions, NFL The fifth-year veteran with the Detroit Lions shined in a 52-21 win over the Bears Sept. 14, when he tallied 3 catches for 28 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown reception. Used mainly as a run-blocking tight end, the Cyprus, Texas, native had 59 receptions for 552 yards and 10 touchdowns for his career through Week 2 of the 2025 season. Brandon Aubrey Continuing To Rewrite NFL Record Books I R I S H I N T H E P R O S Just two weeks into his third season in the NFL, Aubrey has made two of the four longest field goals in league history. PHOTO COURTESY DALLAS COWBOYS