The Players and Coaches Born Outside in the USA
While the US is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is still led by US-born athletes. Only five percent of participants are born abroad, and the majority of them enter the sport by attending college in the United States. True international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.
James Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the League
Cook has been in charge of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not participated in professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his dad and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating in his area and soon wanted to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his plans to go to college in the US proved financially prohibitive.
“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people wanted me, I would switch my schedule and help out. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d show up all over London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”
It was here that he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in 2017 with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Falcons, making history as the first UK permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Australia to train younger players from across the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”
Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL
Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, maximising time on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the coach and general manager. It’s a really hands-on role, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with international athletes who had not played the game. Rookie rookies also have to build habits and routines: how to look after their health and handle a huge game plan. But also just being available for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”
Is being an Brit who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a imagined barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and require support in the identical ways. If players understand you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or how you speak. And when people know that you are invested, all the other stuff fades.”
Benefits of Being Beyond the NFL Bubble
Coming from beyond the American football world has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and build relationships. People are truly intrigued. NFL organizations are varied than many think. We have staff from various backgrounds, a range of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”
The NFL has been more successful at producing international supporters than developing global talent. Mailata, a former rugby player from Australia who claimed the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.
Foreign Players and Their Paths
International athletes have typically been kickers, brought in from other football codes. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not trained in the US college system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.
Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s youth team before finding the sport at university, has achieved that. He competed in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not suited for his preferred games, soccer and the sport, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while playing for clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the national side, and was given a spot on the IPP in 2021.
The following year, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have periods on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined 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 his status as a international player still a challenge?
“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” says the player. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they ask: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a really welcoming environment, a great team, a top franchise.”
Despite devoting most of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Obviously the offensive line is always close-knit because we are a group and united, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Akers – my best man, in fact – was a wide receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”
Inspiring the Future
Pircher is conscious he represents not only Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries beyond the United States. The better every IPP graduate does, the more young people who participate in Europe, in Germany, anywhere, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to experience what I’ve achieved.”
The program alumni are welcomed to Florida each year to train the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us return
