Cowboys Kicker Brandon Aubrey Breaks Down His Game Winner Overtime Field Goal | Pat McAfee Show

Cowboys Kicker Brandon Aubrey Breaks Down His Game Winner Overtime Field Goal | Pat McAfee Show

Congratulations, man. Um, as you know and I know, not every soccer player can just kick a football, you know, it’s not just like uh every single professional soccer player could become an NFL kicker. There’s leg swings. There’s a lot of different technicalities. Obviously, the ball is vastly different and you just being able to pick that up. I think your wife, if I remember the story, your wife was like, “We can figure this out.” and you you have, but can you talk to me a little bit about kind of adjusting from the soccer ball to the football? Was it quick for you or is it still a work in progress? Yeah, it was it was quick for me. Um, I’ve always been a good ball striker. I’d always go to the field, just practice free kicks constantly. Um, took penalties throughout my career at at Notre Dame. Um, so I always just enjoyed scoring goals. I’ve kind of stopped enjoying playing soccer when I got switched to center back and didn’t work as hard as I need to to uh you know stay with the best of the best at the professional level. So kind of washed out of it pretty quick. But um I think it was a natural transition for me going from um football to soccer. Obviously the timing is a big thing, the pressure is a big thing uh to get used to and just there’s no ability to correct your mistakes when you make one. So, um just being able to go out there and be know what you’re going to miss and uh occasionally and and be okay with that, but uh also try and get your job done as many times as possible. Yeah, for you missing not real. Uh that’s not real. Uh which is awesome. You’re going to continue to do as such. And I like your mentality of, you know, just got to go get the next one if you miss it. I was soccer player obviously growing up known for having a strong leg. Uh I played striker, enjoyed scoring goals, and then when we got to the higher levels, they moved me to middle back as well. Okay. Big legs. Yep. Exactly. That is right. Yeah, that is exactly the case. Um, but you said something about what if you miss, you just have to sit there. That was my big adjustment. It was like if I was if I had a bad touch or something on this uh some days at least I give effort like okay I’m a press. I’m going to give maximum effort. When it comes to kicking it’s like no you ain’t out effort in this thing. You’re you’re taking three steps and you’re either getting your ass booed or you are getting cheered and then you’re going to go stand on the sideline. You become a Dallas Cowboy your first trip here and obviously all eyes are on the Dallas Cowboys all the time. The highest valued organization in sports history. Obviously there’s a documentary about the beginnings and the origins. It’s an insane place I assume to work. But for you it’s just the only thing you know. After you start hitting kicks and start hitting kicks, you worked your entire life in soccer. After you start hitting kicks, boom, boom, boom. All of a sudden I assume everybody knows you as kicking guy. You are the kicker. When did you know that this was your calling? Was it like during the workouts before the season started? Was it in the middle of the season? Did you hit a kick your first year and it was like, yeah, 100,000 people just went crazy for me. I can do this. Yeah. Yeah. This is what it is. Was there a moment that’s like, hey, this feels like this is what all of that was for was to get to here. Did you have that moment? Yeah. I’ I’d say it didn’t even click that way until this year. um finally feel like I belong and I’m uh on the field. I feel comfortable on the field. Um as a kicker, it’s that’s hard to do cuz you’re you’re going kick to kick pretty much your entire career. Um you see guys get replaced after having three or four or five even great years just after a couple bad games sometimes even if you’re lucky you get a full season of of rope but um not much leeway there. So you always feel like you have to make each and every kick on every single game. So, I wouldn’t say I I feel super comfortable yet, but uh I still I’m starting to feel more relaxed going on the field and I’m I feel like now when I go go to kick a ball, um I expect to go in, which is a good feeling. So, there’s no more no more nerves really going out there. That’s a hilarious mindset. So, my first year punting, I didn’t really know how to punt. So, I’d hit a I’d hit a bomb. Yeah. And they’d be like, “What happened?” Like, “I’m not sure.” Then I’d hit a miss. I’d hit a miss. They’d be like, “What happened?” I’m not sure. It all It all felt It all felt the same. I’m not 100% sure what it was. And then as you get more comfortable, just wait. I’m excited for you to experience what it’s going to be like whenever you get there like after this season, probably or next year. It’s such a much more uh enjoyable experience cuz everything you’re saying right now is exactly how Adam Vinitary viewed it, I think, for most of his career. It’s like every kick during practice, he could get cut cuz that’s real. Like you miss he he missed in practice. He thought he was going to get cut. That’s how Adam Venitary viewed all of it. So, it was just a neverending chase of perfection and you’ve been damn near that. Let’s talk about this past weekend uh yesterday. Obviously, the 64 yard absolutely insane. Different ball flight than you normally hit. Uh why was that you think? Did you try it or is this a new kick for you? No, that’s just a little power fade. Um I was just trying to add a little bit more to it. um and kind of came off my foot a little funky and it had that little slide and got nervous for a second, but then it corrected itself and got back on its path. Um I have a I don’t really try to do it, but when we get back there, I I’ve started to notice I do take that little hitch step to give myself a little bit more behind the ball. Uh you can see it there. But um yeah, I don’t try to do it. I’m more of a fuel kicker. I don’t watch a whole lot of film of myself. Um, if you if you pay attention closely, not any single kick is exactly the same for me as the last one. There’s a lot of times, especially early in the season where my soccer form takes back over and I kind of land on my kicking foot and those are the ones I try to get away from because those those are bad. Um, but they they tend to still go in. Um, yeah. I don’t know. I try to try to keep it as as similar as possible, but um you see rush coming out of your peripherals, then you try to get off your plant foot real quick and it makes your form look funky. So, uh as long as it’s going in, I’m happy. And I’m trying not to be too robotic, but try get myself in the same position every time and uh uh make it make it kick. You’re a ball striker, dude. Sebastian Janikowski is very similar. He literally just took like two and a half steps back. A that looked good. You know, that was how he did it for his entire career. that that was his entire career. Many other kickers you and I both know and I assume they’re like need to be this exact distance away, need to take this exact step and it kind of removes the uh I don’t want to say athlete but the the comfort of ball striking as a whole I think for ex soccer players. I personally I believe that. Uh so I appreciate that that’s your mindset. Like they’re not all going to look the exact same but we’re trying to break through that, right? Yeah. Okay. And you don’t want to be back in your steps um right before you kick and be like, “Wow, I missed my spot by like half an inch. How do I have to recover from this?” You just want to turn your brain off and kick the freaking ball. That’s what you do at the end of the day. You do it very well. Debb has a question for you, Brandon. Yeah, we got some adjustments with the K balls. Uh Pat has talked kind of in depth about the K balls and the difference them been broken in this year. you’ve been money regardless of what type of ball you’ve been kicking, but have you felt any difference and what I guess number do you feel comfortable attempting in the game? Yeah, with the new K balls, um, not a whole lot new for us. We have great equipment staff and they’ve been so they they usually have 30 minutes with the balls and they would just spend the entire time on our first ball making sure it was pristine and then if we went to um ball two or three, uh, good luck. But now we get to practice with with those balls um before the game so we kind of know what they feel like and know what shape they are which um really helps um the punting and kicking game. Uh I can’t I think it’s a great change. Um why put in rules that are going to kind of limit the excitement of of the game? You got guys banging away from from deeper. Um I don’t really know my distance. I feel like in practice and in uh warm-ups for games, I go back to like 60 is the farthest I’ll go and it it goes through by a yard or two, but then it comes in game time and all that adrenaline going through me. I get like five or six extra yards, sometimes like seven or eight. Um looked like that ball today would have been or yesterday would have been good from like 72 or 73. I’m not I’m not entirely sure. I’m not a scientist, but I watch that thing fly through pretty comfortably uh after the swing. Did you you said you hit a little power fade there and then you said it starts to slide a little bit. You are trying to drive that a little bit more from back there. Um yeah, I just I know I need to bring a little bit more to the table. So, I’m again I’m just turning my brain off and saying I need more distance. Kick it kick it harder. Let the body figure it out. And once again, that’s why the entire soccer run was for a purpose, you know, and now we’re out there doing it for the Dallas Cowboys in the biggest moments. I think first player in NFL history to hit a uh walk-off game tire at zero and then also walk-off game winner at zero of overtime. Wow. Unreal. Yeah. So, obviously overtime games very rarely make it all the way to zero at the end. That could have been a tie as Yeah. What’s that? We had four punts in overtime. That was crazy. Yeah. It was a pretty uh stick and then obviously you a turnover. It was a pretty KY affair. You guys got into a pretty KY affair there and uh obviously congrats on that. And the Giants fans uh just say this is life. Ain’t that right, Bruce? That’s right. Another another loss in the loss column. That’s life. Thanks. Thanks. Talking about it. Yeah. It sounds like this guy’s going to be making kicks for as long as he can just shut his brain off. Connor has a question for you. Yeah, Brandon, I just got to say, I’m not sure how much you’re on the internet, but you are in fact a fantasy football legend forever. It is insane what you do on Sundays. I just want you to know a lot of people love you, whether they’re Cowboys fans or not, because of that. But, uh, Brian Shanheimr yesterday postgame, it was real emotional. You could tell, you know, of course with all the storylines this summer that, you know, this win meant a lot to him. Did you guys as players kind of want to get this one for him just because it has, you know, been so long since he’s got a chance to be a head coach? And then of course, you know, finally getting his first W. Yeah. To the fantasy fans, thank you so much. Uh I used to play a lot of fantasy uh back before I started playing football. So means a lot to be kind of uh in the game and and doing well in there. So thank you for the fandom. And uh yeah, for Shotti, absolutely. He’s he’s been incredible. Um he deserves this chance. Uh wanted to get that win for him, for us, get our season started right, but also get get him cuz he puts he pours his heart and soul into it. you can tell he he wears his emotions on his sleeves. Um he’s going to do everything for his players. Uh he’s big family guy, too. Um so we we just we love him. He loves us and I think that’s going to carry us a long way this year. Just the passion he has. Hey, this Yeah. thing right here. Was this always in your locker room or is this a shoddy special? This is a shoddy special. I’ve I’ve never seen this before. I don’t know if it comes from college or where it comes from, but it was awesome. I I really enjoyed that. Did you guys get information that that would be happening or did you all just kind of have to follow suit here while he was in the moment? Um, maybe the special teams room missed it, but yeah, we just as it happened. What’s that old bot? What’s that old bot? J figure out the communications in there. So, you missed the first one. Saw was happening. Yeah. Like that. Yeah, that’s that’s you being more comfortable. See, look. He’s football culture. Exactly. We’re yelling. I just like to blend in. I don’t want to be the center of attention ever. So, this is very uncomfortable for me going up. It’s hard to blend in, brother, when you’re walking out on the other side of the field all the time and knocking it through the uh uprights on this side. Everybody loves Especially for the Cowboys, dude. It’s insane the amount of eyes, especially cuz kicking is all here. So, like in college, for instance, Tennessee’s kid. Oh man, I felt so bad for him. Obviously, that is a huge bummer. 102,000 plus in there. They get a 5y penalty right beforehand for nothing. No reason with 7 seconds left. Then they sent him out of there. It’s like, man, this is a lot of bad vibes as he’s walking out there. Yeah. The mental stamina that it would take to execute that for him would have been absurd. I I mean, I would have been so impressed. Which is why I think a lot of us see you and it’s like, man, this guy’s a stone cold killer. It is unbelievable. What is your thoughts? Do you have You said you try to shut your brain off, but as you’re jogging out, is there last swing thoughts or you just literally just trying to get into a zone and do your thing? Yeah, the swing thoughts, head down, swing through. Um, as I’m jogging out there, I try to div force myself from the situation as much as possible. Know you’ve got one job to do. Um, and focus on the details that it takes to to kick a ball. So, it’s taking my three steps back. I’ll even say one, two, three, then over two, one, two. And so, I’m just like that, telling myself the little mechanics in my head I have to. So, I don’t think about the situation or uh the outcome. Just focusing on on the details, the process. Um, and then uh you don’t there’s no room trying to care as little as possible at the uh about the outcome of the game or the situation. Um, but obviously in moments like that, it’s hard to do. Um, but had had some time to sit there and think about it with the timeout call. So, just going through some breathing exercises, get the heart rate down, and then resetting. The timing of the timeout was early. I think that was an early timeout. I I I didn’t know if you would have liked that or not. Like, you made it. Didn’t matter. uh the whole process conversation. Are you a good golfer? Um I’m just picking it up. I’m I’m decent now. I’m not terrible, but I wouldn’t say good. They say kickers are supposed to be good. They say kickers and punters are supposed to be good because of everything you just said. But also, I go back to what you said at the beginning of this is like your spot isn’t exactly you’re still a little loose, you know, still a little bit of an athlete. Kick’s different. Yeah. Every every kick’s different. Yeah. Down, swing through. He’s got it. Doesn’t work as well with golf. That’s what I’m saying. I have struggled. I have felt with everybody told me that I’d be good because it’s very similar to kicking and very similar to punting. And it’s like for me for punting, I was changing techniques and warm-ups every game. And I was like having my best year. And it’s like, oh, I guess today I’m dropping a little lower. Okay, I’m going to drop it inside. It’s like why am I doing that on game day, but it was like every single game day thing. And I think it’s a more feel thing for like just balls. So when I get into golf, there’s no like, all right, I’m going to hit this a little bit. It just hasn’t carried over for me. the golf thing. I assume you will be scratch within a month. Yeah, hopefully. That’s the hoping for it. We know. I got I got some lessons now. We’ve quit I’ve quit golf before just recently. Just quit the entire sport for two years. Just stop playing. Just kick the ball, you know. Just kick ball. Don’t let golf [ __ ] up. Do hobbies. You’re not allowed to. Well, I shut it down for regular season for sure. Well, and listen, don’t be scared to get out there if you need it. You do whatever the hell you want to do, brother. It’s all working. And Tai has a question for you. Yeah, Brandon, given everything you said and kind of like your mentality when it comes to kicking, it seems like you’re not, you know, in your head too much, but was there a moment during the game yesterday where you knew like, okay, this is probably going to come down to me and I’m going to have to make a game-winning kick at some point because watching it, no matter at, you know, like second quarter on, it was like, okay, Aubrey’s going to have to win this one for him probably. Yeah, for for me it’s seeing us score a touchdown and we’re up by four. I’m like, “Okay, now they’re going to push for a touchdown real quick and then we’ll get the situation where we have a few seconds on the clock and we get some yards. I’m going to have to bang in a long one.” So, um, our punter was wanting to watch stand up and watch, but we normally sit on the bench um when we’re on defense, but he’s trying to get us to go up and like kind of make some noise and help the defense out. I’m like, I’m going to sit my butt down because we’re probably going to be needed again. That’s that’s when it clicked for me. Yeah. Well, that’s uh good forethought. That’s good situational awareness. Feels like you know bowl, brother. You’ve been in football. I’ve been watching my whole life. Amen. Well, it’s all paying off. Uh I’ve enjoyed watching you kick. We all have, man. You’ve come in and really just changed the game, I think, personally, just with an expectation level for a guy that hadn’t played the sport his entire life is absurd. And I think you should know the entire football world is nothing but impressed with you. We appreciate the hell out of you, man. Good luck the rest of the way. Appreciate it. Thanks for having me. Let’s hit a power fade in there. Make it big time. Yep. My brain I just tell it. It has to go 64 yards. Let’s make it. So, hey, this thing’s got to go at least 64 yards. Yeah. Set the leg. Set the range. [Music] Go ahead and tighten that thing in. I didn’t think I could make it to be honest, but told the body had to. And it certainly did. We appreciate you ladies and gentlemen. Brandon. Yeah. Happy birthday.

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