The Players and Coaches Born Outside in the United States
Although the United States is a country of newcomers, the NFL is largely dominated by American-born athletes. Only five percent of players are born abroad, and the majority of them enter the game by going to university in the US. True outsiders are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly rare, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.
James Cook’s Unlikely Path to the NFL
Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he was raised in England, is in his twenties, and did not participated in professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his father and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating locally and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He got as far as representing Team GB, but his dreams to go to college in the US were financially prohibitive.
“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people needed me, I would switch my shifts 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 throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”
It was here that he met Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Kansas City 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 Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting players,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Australia to work with aspiring athletes from around the Pacific region to get them into college football, similar to what I wanted to do.”
Making the Leap to NFL Coaching
Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, maximising efficiency on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the coach and general manager. It’s a really active position, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with international athletes who had never played the game. First-year newcomers also have to establish habits and schedules: how to look after their health and deal with a massive playbook. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same across the board. And I enjoy that.”
Does being an Brit who did not compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle than an actual one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style comments and loads of players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the similar things and require support in the identical ways. If players understand you can help them, they don’t care where you’re from or what accent. And when people know that you are invested, all the rest fades.”
Benefits of Being Beyond the US System
Originating from outside the American football world has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are genuinely curious. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have people from various origins, a range of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”
The NFL has been more successful at attracting foreign fans than nurturing foreign players. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who won the Super Bowl recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have made it to the very top.
International Players and Their Journeys
Foreign players have typically been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Bobby Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for being a kicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and did not trained in the American system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.
Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at university, has made that step. He competed in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Steelers.
Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the Italian was obviously not suited for his preferred games, football and the sport, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out while playing for teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in 2021.
A year later, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the LA Rams training team. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in each team but is hasn’t had action on the field. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?
“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a very welcoming culture, a great team, a top organization.”
Despite devoting most of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his clubs. “Naturally the O-line is always very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – was a receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for two years at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve have to be there for each other.”
Motivating the Future
Pircher is aware he represents not only his home countries. “In my view every nation outside the US. 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 put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a many kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”
The program alumni are welcomed to the US each year to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return
