These Athletes and Coaches Not Born in the United States

Although the US is a country of newcomers, the NFL is still led by American-born players. Just 5% of participants are born abroad, and most of them enter the sport by attending university in the United States. True international figures are rare, and foreign coaches are especially rare, which renders James Cook’s story remarkable.

James Cook’s Unlikely Path to the NFL

Cook has been in control of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and never played professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his dad and stumbled upon what he called a “weird and wonderful” game. He started playing locally and soon wanted to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to playing for Team GB, but his plans to go to university in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people wanted me, I would adjust my schedule and help out. Being a quarterback, the key skill 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 usually get me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP program in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Falcons, making history as the first UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable guys,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Australia to train younger players from across the Pacific to get them into college football, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from working with international athletes to joining the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role assisting younger players, optimizing time on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the head coach and GM. It’s a really active role, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had never played the sport. Rookie newcomers also have to build habits and routines: learning to take care of their health and deal with a huge playbook. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Brit who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a perceived hurdle than an actual one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style comments and loads of players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the similar things and require support 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 realize that you care, all the rest melts away.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble

Coming from outside the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and build relationships. Teammates are genuinely intrigued. NFL organizations are more diverse than many think. We have people from various backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at attracting international supporters than developing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have made it to the very top.

Foreign Athletes and Their Paths

Foreign players have usually been specialists, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped playing up front for Watford and Fulham for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby in St Albans to the Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and did not trained in the US college system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s academy before finding the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s story is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not built for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so started American football in his teenage years. He stood out while playing for clubs in Europe and Europe, as well as the national side, and was offered a spot on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had periods on the fringes at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in each team but is hasn’t had game time on the field. Is his status as a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the player. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they ask: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a really welcoming culture, a excellent team, a great organization.”

Despite spending the majority of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is consistently close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have friends from all positions. My close friend, Akers – my best man, in fact – played receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for a while at the Rams. QBs, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes not only his home countries. “I would say every nation beyond the US. The better every IPP graduate performs, the more youth who play football in Italy, in Germany, anywhere, can see: ‘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 experienced.”

The program alumni are welcomed to the US annually to coach the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back