No one likes going under the knife, of course. But for Cowboys rookie kicker Brandon Aubrey, what might have been an emergency surgery this offseason turned out to be a bit of a blessing.

Back in late January and early February, Aubrey had pain in his abdomen that did not want to go away. He went to see a doctor, who told him he needed to have his appendix removed. The problem for Aubrey was that after a magical first season in the NFL after coming over from the USFL, he was slated to appear in the NFL’s Pro Bowl festivities.

He was not going to miss the Pro Bowl. So he took a chance, had some antibiotics and made it through the weekend in Orlando, getting his appendectomy the next day. Aubrey revealed the surgery this week.

“Some forced R-and-R there. Had that out the day after the Pro Bowl,” he told reporters via DallasCowboys.com. “It was kinda bothering me during the Pro Bowl, got it out and then had some forced rest. It was actually four days before the Pro Bowl, it kind of starting hurting, so, went to the doctor, they checked it out and did a scan, and they said, ‘Yeah, you’ve got appendicitis.’

“I wanted to be at the Pro Bowl so they gave me some antibiotics instead of taking it then and there. Got me 10 days, made it through the Pro Bowl, got out and got home.”

Cowboys Found a Keeper at Kicker

Certainly, Aubrey earned the right to approach the offseason any way he likes, after the kind of year he just had. He led the NFL with 36 field-goals made out of 38 attempts, a 94.7% rate, which ranked third in the NFL. He made 49 of his 52 extra-point attempts, too.

Aubrey attempted 10 field goals of 50 yards or more and made all 10. He was also 14-for-14 on field-goal tries of 40 yards or more.

The 29-year-old Aubrey was a soccer star at Notre Dame in college and went on to play pro soccer, as a first-round pick of the Toronto Football Club in Major League Soccer. After his career in soccer flamed out, Aubrey was working in computers but began retraining as a placekicker.

He played two seasons with the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL before the Cowboys signed him last summer. It was a magical ride last season, but Aubrey says he is leaving 2023 in the rearview mirror.

“It’s rinse and reset,” he said. “Obviously, you just want to go out there and perform every game. Kinda thought about it through the offseason, enjoyed it, reflected on it, put it on the shelf and moved on to this year. This year is gonna be its own thing. I’ve got to go and make sure it’s a good year as well.”

Brandon Aubrey Got Some Rest

As for his offseason, Aubrey said he took six weeks off before returning to training. That includes the recovery period from his appendectomy.

“It’s gone well. Rest, got healthy, relaxed. Mental break, you know. It’s my first break since four USFL seasons, so it’s been four years going strong. Good to get the break,” Aubrey said.

“You don’t really realize where you’re at until you kind of slow down and stop. Maybe a little bit of mental fatigue sticking in there. Some fatigue in the leg so it was good to get that break.”