Spring football has been leaving its mark on the NFL since the AAF came into the picture in 2019. For the third year in a row, former members of those alternative leagues have been selected in the Pro Bowl.
On Thursday, former Birmingham Stallions kicker Brandon Aubrey and former New Jersey Generals wide receiver and returner KaVontae Turpin were voted into their second Pro Bowl as members of the Dallas Cowboys. Former Pittsburgh Maulers and current Denver Broncos long snapper Mitchell Fraboni and former Michigan Panthers and current Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates were named as alternates for the Pro Bowl.
BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK 💪
For the third year in a row, spring football is represented in the @NFL Pro Bowl Games. pic.twitter.com/UCwlU5ANh4
— United Football League (@TheUFL) January 3, 2025
Turpin has had another explosive season on special teams as the only player in the NFL to return a kickoff and punt for a touchdown in 2024. He leads the NFL in average kickoff return yards with 33.6 yards per return. Turpin was previously voted in the Pro Bowl back in 2022.
Aubrey is second in the NFL in field goals made with 36 and is responsible for making the longest field goal of the regular season with a 65-yarder. This is the second straight season that Aubrey has made the Pro Bowl.
Fraboni is completing his third season with the Broncos and has held the long snapper position since the middle of the 2022 season. His previous spring football experience includes playing for the Maulers in the USFL back in 2022 and a stint in The Spring League with the Alphas.
Bates is fifth in the NFL, scoring 135 points this season. He has made 89.3% of his field goals, as he has only missed three field goals and two extra points. Last year in the UFL, Bates was an All-UFL selection with the Panthers after catching the sports world’s attention with his 64-yard field goal to open the season against the St. Louis Battlehawks.
Other end-of-year lists still need to be released, including the All-Pro list, which could include more spring football players, but leagues like the UFL have already proven they are here to stay for the long haul to help the NFL with top talent.
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