The Athletes and Coaches Not Born in the United States
Although the United States is a country of immigrants, the National Football League is still dominated by American-born athletes. Only 5% of players are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the sport by going to university in the US. True outsiders are unusual, and foreign coaches are especially scarce, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.
Cook’s Surprising Path to the League
For the past six months, Cook has been in control of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given 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 dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “strange and amazing” sport. He started playing in his area and quickly wanted to become the first NFL quarterback from Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to go to university in the US were too expensive.
“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d appear around London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”
This is where he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP program in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first UK full-time coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable guys,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from around the Pacific to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”
Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL
Similar to Durde before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role supporting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the practice field, collaborating with physios, the head coach and general manager. It’s a really active position, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had never played the game. Rookie rookies also have to establish structure and schedules: how to take care of their body and deal with a huge playbook. But also just being present for guys. That’s the same across the board. And I enjoy that.”
Does being an Brit who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a perceived hurdle than an actual one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and many players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and require help in the same ways. If players know you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or how you speak. And when people realize that you care, all the other stuff melts away.”
Benefits of Being Outside the NFL Bubble
Coming from outside the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are varied than many think. We have staff from various origins, a variety of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”
The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than nurturing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Australia who won the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.
Foreign Athletes and Their Paths
Foreign players have usually been specialists, brought in from other football codes. Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want 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 native of London who played for Chelsea’s youth team before discovering American football at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Maximilian Pircher’s experience is equally improbable. At over two meters and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so took up American football in his late teens. He stood out while playing for clubs in Austria and Germany, as well as the national side, and was given a place on the IPP in that year.
A year later, he held the championship trophy as a part of the Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have spells on the periphery at the Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see action on the field. Is his status as a foreigner still a challenge?
“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the player. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very inclusive culture, a great squad, a top organization.”
Despite spending the majority of practice with his other linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his clubs. “Obviously the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have mates from all positions. My best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, actually – was a wide receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be supportive.”
Motivating the Next Generation
Pircher is conscious he represents more than just Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries beyond the US. The more successful each one of us does, the more youth who play football in Europe, in Germany, wherever, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of youngsters hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s nice to encourage them to experience what I’ve experienced.”
The IPP graduates are welcomed to the US each year to train the new group of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us come back
