Aubrey returned to his alma mater to honor the coach and school that helped shape his early years
Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey returned to Plano Senior High School to recognize one of the educators who helped shape his early years, surprising Wildcats boys soccer coach Tex McCullough with a special award and a $5,000 school grant.
Aubrey, a 2013 Plano Senior High graduate, joined Reliant Energy to name McCullough the first Class Acts honoree of the 2026-27 school year. The program recognizes outstanding educators across North Texas.
During the visit, Aubrey presented McCullough with a Cowboys jersey and game ball, along with the grant from Reliant. He also toured the school’s recently renovated athletic facilities, returning to the campus where he developed his skills as a competitive soccer player.
From Plano Wildcat To Cowboys Kicker
Before making a name for himself in the NFL, Aubrey was known at Plano Senior High for his soccer talent. He went on to play four years at the University of Notre Dame while earning a degree in computer science.
“It’s where I found myself falling in love with computer science, which is what I ended up studying in college, and was able to pursue a really high level of competition in soccer,” Aubrey previously told Local Profile.
At the time, soccer was his primary focus. Although he had participated in other sports, including football, Aubrey committed to pursuing a professional soccer career while still in middle school.
“My goal, like every kid that makes that choice, was to make it to the professional level,” he said. “That was my goal, without any sort of side quests or anything like that.”
After college, Aubrey was selected in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft by Toronto FC. He spent two years playing in the league’s lower division before deciding to step away from professional soccer.
“I had the opportunity to sign with another team in that league but wasn’t making enough money for me to support a family,” Aubrey says.
Recently married, he turned to his backup plan and began working as a software engineer. The transition away from the sport he had pursued for years was difficult, and Aubrey recalled feeling like he was “not quite my normal self” for several months.
His next opportunity came from an unlikely source. While watching football at home with his wife, they saw a kicker attempt a field goal, and she suggested he try it himself.
“We were watching football like we always do, and we saw a kicker kick a field goal…and she said, ‘I think you could do that.’” Aubrey said.
He wasn’t immediately sold on the idea. But after heading to a local football field to test his kicking ability, he began training for a new career in the sport he had once set aside. On July 6, 2023, Aubrey signed with the Cowboys and competed for the team’s starting kicker position, beginning a new chapter in professional athletics.
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