From Corporate Life to NFL Star
A story, quote, and lesson about how untapped potential hides in plain sight
You’re more versatile than you think.
It didn’t happen during practice. It didn’t happen on a football field. It happened in a living room.
Brandon Aubrey was watching a football game with his wife when a kicker missed a field goal. Without hesitation, his wife turned to him and said, “You could do that.”
At first, it sounded like a joke. Aubrey hadn’t played a snap of football since middle school. He was a former professional soccer player turned full-time software engineer, now spending his days writing code, not running drills. But her words stuck. Not because they flattered him, but because deep down, he knew she might be right.
He had spent years shaping a powerful, accurate leg on the soccer pitch. Precision. Composure. Repetition. Kicking under pressure wasn’t new. The shape of the ball was different, sure, but the fundamentals weren’t.
So he decided to try.
What started as an experiment quickly became a mission. Aubrey trained hard, taught himself the rhythm and mechanics of placekicking, and landed a spot in the USFL with the Birmingham Stallions. He was 27. No college football resume. No NFL combine. Just discipline, raw talent, and a willingness to bet on himself.
During his tenure at Birmingham, he helped take the team to two consecutive USFL championships, winning both. Widely regarded as the most accurate kicker in the USFL, Aubrey got his shot at the big leagues. In 2023 the Dallas Cowboys called and signed him as their starting kicker for the following NFL season.
And he didn’t just survive, he thrived.
In his rookie season, Aubrey made 36 straight field goals, the longest streak to start a career in NFL history. With nearly every kick, the story grew more unbelievable: the guy with no football background was becoming one of the most reliable kickers in the league.
“We didn’t want him to go try out anywhere else.”
- John Fassel (Cowboys ST Coordinator) on Aubrey’s performance after his tryout.
Aubrey’s story is more than a football success, it’s a reminder that our abilities don’t always belong in the narrow boxes we put them in. He could’ve said, “I’m just a soccer player,” or “I’m too late to change careers.” Instead, he reimagined what his skills could do in a different context and put in the work to turn that dream into a reality.
We often underestimate how transferable our talents are. Focus, discipline, handling pressure, these don’t belong to one job or one field. They travel with us. And sometimes, it takes someone who knows us best to recognize where they might fit next.
Aubrey listened. He trusted. He kicked.
And now he’s making history on Sundays.
So now I ask you:
Where in your life are you stuck thinking, “That’s not for me”, when in reality, you already have the skills to begin?
Are you listening to the people who believe in you the most?
Great as always!
You’re right. Our lives are full of opportunities. We need to reimagine what our skills could do in a different context than the one we currently have and take a glimpse at the possibilities. Thanks for inspiring.