FRISCO, Texas — When Brian Schottenheimer announced the Dallas Cowboys captains in a team meeting, most of the names were not a surprise.

Dak Prescott. CeeDee Lamb. Osa Odighizuwa. C.J. Goodwin. The surprises, at least from the outside, were safety Donovan Wilson and Brandon Aubrey, the Pro Bowl kicker.

For Aubrey, who began playing football about five years ago after a spell in professional soccer, it was a wow moment when Schottenheimer called him up to the front of the room and handed him the captain’s patch that will be on his jersey.

“It’s a big honor to be selected by teammates, to represent the team as a leader,” Aubrey said. “Kind of just shows that they respect me and that they think I did a good job at my job, and that I handle my business the right way.

“I want to go and take that trust and responsibility seriously and show the guys they made the right choice.”

Aubrey was a captain for the Dallas Texans, his club soccer team growing up, but he wasn’t the captain for his high school team or at Notre Dame. Aubrey is one of the few kickers in the league to be selected a seasonlong captain. Jake Elliott of the Philadelphia Eagles and Cairo Santos of the Chicago Bears are two of the others.

“I just wanted to make a team,” Aubrey said at the beginning of his football journey. “I was desperate to get any opportunity and now I’ve got the opportunity, done well, come a long way, and I just want to keep stacking success. I think that motivates me to keep going and keep seeing where this thing can go.”

Aubrey is set to be a restricted free agent at the end of this season, but the Cowboys have yet to make an approach regarding a contract extension. His on-field résumé is good enough to warrant one. Now he has an off-field one with being named captain.

“I’m sure there will be times when Schotty calls us up to say something,” Aubrey said. “Definitely going to go home and think about what drives me, and try and make any message I have to give come from the process that I’ve done to get here and perform the way I have. And just share the insights into my brain that have helped me perform, and hopefully guys can take or leave anything that I say. If they take it, hopefully it makes them better.”

Five questions with Jalen Tolbert

Let’s get to know the fourth-year wide receiver a little bit better.

If you weren’t playing football, what would you be doing?

“Playing baseball. Hopefully somewhere in MLB. Outfielder. Played it growing up. I didn’t start football until 11th grade of high school, so I was a big baseball player. Yankees. Derek Jeter used to be my favorite player.”

What’s your favorite football memory?

“Definitely the game-winning touchdown in Pittsburgh last year. Honestly, haven’t looked at it much now, but definitely that was my favorite play so far.”

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What’s your prized possession?

“Honestly my family. I know it’s a wide answer, but I’d do anything to protect them and take care of them, and I love them to death.”

Why did you pick No. 1 for your uniform?

“Just to get myself to be one of one every day and challenge myself to be 1% better every day. Find a way to get better, whether it’s blocking, route running, helping a teammate grow, whatever it is. Finding a way to find the 1% to get better at.”

What teammate over the year impacted you the most?

“Brandin Cooks. He just taught me the layout of the game honestly, the politics that come with this, how to take care of your body. And then the on-field stuff, he’s seen stuff over his 11 years playing. And he made sure to give me any tip … to make myself a better football player, a smarter football player. Just having a guy like that that believes in you and sees a lot in you even when other people don’t, it’s special.”

What’s in a number?

One of the things the Cowboys liked about Donovan Ezeiruaku in the draft process was his maturity.

Ezeiruaku’s jersey, No. 41, might not be prototypical for a pass rusher. Asked leading into Thursday’s season opener, a 24-20 loss to the Eagles, if he was sticking with the number, he said, “We’re working on that.”

Since he wore the number Thursday, he will be in No. 41 for the rest of the season. A few days after Micah Parsons was traded to the Green Bay Packers, he was asked if he would take Parsons’ No. 11.

“Nah, I ain’t taking 11,” he said. “Nah.”

The second-round pick wants to make his own mark with a number of his own.