Cowboys news: Dallas may be ready to roll with an undrafted rookie kicker

Is Texas Tech’s Jonathan Garibay the next Mexican kicker in line to play for Cowboys? – Abraham Nudelstejer, Dallas Morning News

The rookie kicker has at least a decent shot at winning the job.

Fast forward to today, and Garibay is competing to become the kicker for the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent. “This is like a dream, something incredible,” the Texas Tech graduate said during a recent practice with the Cowboys.

Garibay was born in Riverside, but his mom took him to Mexico when he was five months old. In Mexico, Garibay became a soccer fan, and he never dreamed his future would be on a football field.

Back in Riverside, Garibay’s friends told him Rubidoux High School was trying out players for its football team. “I said, ‘órale, let’s go’. But I was just playing along,” he said.

Once on the practice field, Garibay thought it would be a good idea to attempt a field goal since he had played soccer as a child in Mexico. “There were a number of players trying to get the kicker slot. But when the high school coach saw my kick, he said: ‘It’s over. I’ve already found my kicker,’” he said.

That single kick led Garibay to play with the high school team, and later to win a college scholarship.