These Players and Coaches Born Outside in the USA
Although the US is a country of immigrants, the National Football League is largely led by American-born athletes. Just 5% of participants are foreign-born, and most of them enter the game by attending college in the United States. Genuine international figures are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.
Cook’s Surprising Journey to the NFL
For the past six months, Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Browns organization. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible considering he grew up in Surrey, is in his twenties, and never participated in professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “strange and amazing” game. He started playing in his area and quickly wanted to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He got as far as representing Great Britain, but his dreams to attend college in the US were too expensive.
“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys needed me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d appear around London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”
This is where he met Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the International Player Pathway programme in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Down Under to train younger players from around the Pacific to get them into college football, like what I had hoped to do.”
Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL
Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from training foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, maximising efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a really active role, which is perfect for me. My background was working with international athletes who had not played the game. Rookie newcomers also have to build habits and routines: learning to look after their body and deal with a massive playbook. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”
Does being an Brit who never compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a perceived barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the similar things and need help in the same ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care where you’re from or how you speak. And when people know that you are invested, all the rest fades.”
Advantages of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble
Coming from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are truly curious. NFL organizations are more diverse than many think. We have staff from various origins, a variety of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”
The NFL has been better at producing foreign fans than nurturing foreign players. Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Sydney who claimed the championship earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have made it to the elite level.
International Athletes and Their Journeys
Foreign players have usually been specialists, brought in from different sports. Howfield swapped playing up front for Watford and Fulham for being a kicker for the Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a special teams player and were not trained in the US college system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.
Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s academy before finding American football at university, has made that step. He competed in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pircher’s experience is equally improbable. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was clearly not built for his preferred games, football and handball, so started American football in his teenage years. He impressed while playing for teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the national side, and was offered a spot on the IPP in that year.
A year later, he held the championship trophy as a member of the Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is yet to see game time on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a hurdle?
“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very inclusive environment, a great team, a great organization.”
Although spending the majority of training with his fellow linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his clubs. “Naturally the O-line is always close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have friends from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – played wide receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for a while at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”
Inspiring the Future
Pircher is aware he represents more than just Italy and Austria. “I would say every nation outside the US. The more successful each one of us performs, the more youth who play football in Italy, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”
The program alumni are welcomed to Florida each year to train the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back
