The Players and Coaches Born Outside in the United States
While the United States is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is largely dominated by American-born players. Just five percent of players are foreign-born, and most of them enter the sport by going to university in the United States. True outsiders are rare, and foreign coaches are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.
James Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL
For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. This is an achievement 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 first saw the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating in his area and quickly aspired to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his plans to go to college in the US proved too expensive.
“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys needed me, I would adjust my schedule and assist. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d show up around London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”
This is where he met Aden Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he set up the IPP program in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first-ever British full-time coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting guys,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to work with younger players from across the Pacific region to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”
Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL
Similar to Durde before him, Cook made the jump from training international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting rookies, maximising efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on role, which is perfect for me. My background was working with players from abroad who had not played the sport. First-year rookies also have to build habits and routines: learning to look after their health and deal with a huge playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the identical everywhere. And I love that.”
Is being an Englishman who did not compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle than an real one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style comments and many players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the same things and need support in the identical ways. If players understand you can assist them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or how you speak. And when people realize that you are invested, all the rest melts away.”
Advantages of Being Outside the NFL Bubble
Coming from beyond the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the entire team soon after joining, 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. People are truly curious. NFL organizations are varied than many think. We have people from various backgrounds, a range of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”
The NFL has been more successful at producing international supporters than nurturing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who won the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have risen to the elite level.
Foreign Players and Their Paths
Foreign players have typically been kickers, recruited from different sports. Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for being a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a special teams player and did not trained in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.
Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s youth team before discovering the sport at university, has achieved that. He competed in the Canadian Football League 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 heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not suited for his preferred games, football and handball, so took up American football in his teenage years. He stood out while representing clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a spot on the IPP in 2021.
A year later, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see action on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?
“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they ask: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a really inclusive culture, a great team, a top franchise.”
Although spending the majority of training with his other linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is always very tight because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for two years at the Rams. QBs, defenders, special teams: we’ve have to be there for each other.”
Motivating the Next Generation
Pircher is aware he represents not only his home countries. “I would say all the countries beyond the United States. The better each one of us does, the more young people who play football in Europe, in Germany, wherever, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many youngsters contacting me, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to experience what I’ve experienced.”
The IPP graduates are all invited to the US annually to train the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return
