A former soccer player, San Antonio Commanders kicker Nick Rose said he always has enjoyed being able to let loose and hammer a kickoff.

The skill is one of his biggest strengths. He had touchbacks on more than two-thirds of his kickoffs as an NFL regular in 2017, and the Los Angeles Chargers brought him aboard for four days last month to handle kickoffs during the team’s AFC divisional round playoff game against the New England Patriots.

Now in the Alliance of American Football with the Commanders, Rose no longer gets to kick off. The AAF has eliminated the play in favor of offenses starting drives at their own 25-yard line.

“It bugs me, because I love kicking off. I enjoy that play,” Rose said. “Personally, I think that’s a strength. That’s an ace in my pocket that I have that some guys don’t. I’m just here to be as consistent as I can on field goals.”

So far, so good. The former Texas Longhorns standout, who became a viral hit a few times during his tenure in Austin, is 6 for 6 through two weeks in San Antonio, including a 50-yarder in Week 2.

Like most players in the Alliance, Rose aims to return to the NFL. He played eight games with the Washington Redskins and two with the Chargers in 2017, and he also has been signed and released by the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets and Houston Texans since entering the league in 2016.

“You strive to have a little bit of security, but it’s the NFL,” Rose said. “You’re never going to have full security, ever. It doesn’t matter if you don’t miss for three years straight. It really doesn’t. You can be gone the next day.”

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Rose pointed to Atlanta Falcons kicker Matt Bryant, who was released two weeks ago after making 20 of 21 field goals in 2018. His only miss was from 53 yards in 25-degree weather at Green Bay.

Rose made 10 of 11 kicks through eight games with Washington in 2017 before being released during the season.

“I thought I was setting myself up for success in the future, but things can change,” Rose said. “It’s really tough to break into that bubble.”

NFL teams almost exclusively carry one kicker, and players at the position tend to have greater longevity than any other spot in the NFL.

Five players 40 or older were on NFL active rosters in 2018: Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and four kickers.

Rose said he’s learned to enjoy the moment and appreciate his opportunities.

“I wake up every day and realize I chose this,” Rose said. “I chose to be a kicker. I chose to continue to chase dreams. I could’ve quit in high school, or college, or after I got cut from my first NFL team. It’s a choice every single day.”

Rose took advantage of a clause in AAF contracts that lets players leave for the NFL without penalty. He signed with the Chargers on Jan. 11 and took three kickoffs in a 41-28 loss at New England on Jan. 13.

He was waived on Jan. 15 and returned to the Commanders’ active roster on Jan. 19.

“That was cool. It’s something I’ll never forget,” Rose said. “Being able to play in a playoff game, a lot of guys go their entire NFL careers without doing that. To do that and get to play in New England was really fun.”

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With the Alliance, Rose said his practice is structured much like every other level of football.

Minus, of course, the kickoffs.

“We certainly work with the things he’s going to do, which is only kick field goals,” Commanders coach Mike Riley said. “We try to give him as much work in that area as is good for him and help him continue to develop. He’s had some experience in the NFL, and we want to help him get back.”

Rose attended Highland Park High near Dallas and said he’s been based primarily in Austin since starting college. He said it’s “been a privilege” to be able to stay in Texas with the Commanders.

With the Longhorns, Rose spent a moment in the national spotlight after Deadspin deemed his 2014 photo “the best roster headshot.” Rose is pictured with a sideways smile as his long, disheveled hair flows left to right across his face.

He also starred in a pair of viral videos in summer 2015, first converting a 15-yard field goal during a backflip and then drilling an 80-yard kick.

The 80-yarder was viewed more than 1½ million times on YouTube and Twitter. It was also the subject of posts from ESPN, NFL.com, USA Today, Sporting News, Bleacher Report and Fox, among others.

“That was never supposed to get that big,” Rose said. “Both of those started off as just messing around. Once again, the internet is always going to remain undefeated. You can’t beat the internet.”

greg.luca@express-news.net