These Players and Coaches Not Born in the United States
While the United States is a country of immigrants, the NFL is still led by American-born athletes. Only five percent of players are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the game by going to university in the United States. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.
Cook’s Surprising Journey to the NFL
For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Browns organization. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible given he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not participated in professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating locally and quickly wanted to become the first NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his dreams to go to university in the US proved financially prohibitive.
“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys needed me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear around London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”
It was here that he encountered Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he established the International Player Pathway program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first-ever British permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Australia to work with younger players from across the Pacific region to introduce them to the US college system, like what I wanted to do.”
Transitioning to NFL Coaching
Like Durde before him, Cook made the jump from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, optimizing time on the practice field, working closely with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on position, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding players from abroad who had never played the game. First-year rookies also have to build habits and schedules: how to look after their body and handle a massive playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”
Does being an Englishman who never play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a imagined hurdle than an real one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and loads of players call me ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the same things and need help in the same ways. If players understand you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when players realize that you care, all the rest fades.”
Advantages of Being Outside the US System
Coming from outside the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. People are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are varied than people think. We have people from various origins, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”
The NFL has been more successful at attracting international supporters than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.
International Players and Their Journeys
International athletes have typically been kickers, brought in from other football codes. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby in St Albans to the Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not trained in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.
Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s academy before finding American football at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.
Pircher’s story is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, football and handball, so started the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while representing teams in Austria and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in 2021.
The following year, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the LA Rams training team. Pircher went on to have spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is hasn’t had action on the field. Is his status as a foreigner still a challenge?
“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they ask: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a really welcoming environment, a excellent squad, a top franchise.”
Despite spending the majority of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the offensive line is always very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – played receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the Rams. QBs, defenders, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”
Inspiring the Future
Pircher is conscious he symbolizes more than just his home countries. “I would say all the countries beyond the United States. The better every IPP graduate does, the more youth who participate in Europe, in Europe, wherever, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many youngsters hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”
The program alumni are all invited to the US annually to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us return
