These Athletes and Coaches Not Born in the United States
Although the US is a nation of immigrants, the NFL is still dominated by US-born players. Only 5% of participants are foreign-born, and most of them enter the sport by going to college in the United States. True outsiders are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.
James Cook’s Surprising Path to the League
For the past six months, Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible given he was raised in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “strange and amazing” sport. He began participating in his area and quickly aspired to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to go to university in the US were financially prohibitive.
“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people wanted me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. As 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 wasn’t paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”
It was here that he encountered Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the IPP program in that year with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first-ever UK permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting guys,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Australia to train younger players from across the Pacific to get them into the US college system, like what I wanted to do.”
Making the Leap to NFL Coaching
Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role supporting rookies, maximising efficiency on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a really active role, which is perfect for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had not played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to establish structure and schedules: how to look after their body and handle a huge playbook. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same across the board. And I enjoy that.”
Is being an Brit who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle than an actual one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players call me ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and need 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 other stuff melts away.”
Benefits of Coming From Outside the US System
Coming from outside the American football world has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. Teammates are truly curious. NFL organizations are varied than many 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 better at attracting foreign fans than developing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.
Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys
International athletes have typically been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Bobby Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and were not educated in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.
Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before discovering American football at university, has achieved that. He competed in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Steelers.
Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not built for his favoured sports, soccer and handball, so started American football in his late teens. He impressed while playing for clubs in Austria and Germany, as well as the national side, and was given a spot on the IPP in that year.
A year later, he held the championship trophy as a part of the Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the periphery at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see game time on the field. Is his status as 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 clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very welcoming culture, a great squad, a top organization.”
Despite devoting the majority of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Naturally the O-line is always very tight because we are a group and united, but we have mates from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – was a wide receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. QBs, defenders, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”
Motivating the Future
Pircher is aware he represents more than just his home countries. “In my view all the countries outside the US. The better each one of us does, the more young people who play football in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of youngsters contacting me, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to experience what I’ve achieved.”
The IPP graduates are all invited to the US each year to train the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return
