Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey absent from practice, could miss more time due to jury duty
There have been many excuses for players to miss practice in sports, but Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey reminded everyone that even the pros cannot escape jury duty.
Aubrey missed Wednesday’s Cowboys practice with the designation of "NIR-Other (jury duty)."
Aubrey, who has been one of the league’s best placekickers this season, was selected for a 12-person jury for a felony assault case in Tarrant County, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. It has been reported that the case involved a second-degree strangulation charge.
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As noted, Aubrey was selected, which means this was not a one-and-done situation for him. He is reportedly expected to be back in court on Thursday and Friday, with the possibility of needing to go longer.
However, Aubrey should not have to miss the Cowboys’ matchup against the San Francisco 49ers on the road this week, as typical court schedules do not occur on Sundays.
The Dallas Morning News reported that, if the case goes longer, Aubrey is still expected to be kicking for the Cowboys as they come off their bye week.
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There are valid reasons to get out of jury duty, and the Cowboys allegedly attempted to get Aubrey out of it. However, it was Aubrey who insisted that he be a good citizen and see it through.
Whether he thought he would be selected to the jury is unknown, but there is no backing out now.
Aubrey has one of the more interesting stories about how he made it to the highest level as one of the best kickers in the game. First, football was not always his sport, as he played soccer at Notre Dame and was in Toronto FC’s feeder system before eventually taking a job as a software engineer.
Football was something he wanted to give a shot during that time in front of a computer, and it worked out after he impressed in two seasons with the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions.
Aubrey was an All-Pro last season as a rookie with the Cowboys, hitting his first 36 field goal attempts, while making the second-longest field goal in NFL history last month when he buried a 65-yarder against the Baltimore Ravens.
This season, Aubrey’s consistent kicking remains a valuable piece for Mike McCarthy’s offense, as he is 17-for-19 and has hit all but one of his nine attempts from 50 yards and beyond.
Will jury duty instead of practicing his kicks throw him off on Sunday? There’s only one way to find out, but first, Aubrey will be studying a court case instead of the 49ers this week.
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