The Athletes and Coaches Born Outside in the USA
While the US is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is largely led by American-born players. Only five percent of participants are foreign-born, and most of them step into the sport by attending college in the US. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s story exceptional.
Cook’s Unlikely Path to the League
Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Browns organization. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible considering he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his dad and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He started playing locally and quickly aspired to become the first-ever NFL quarterback from Europe. He got as far as representing Team GB, but his plans to go to college in the US were too expensive.
“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would adjust my schedule and help out. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear all over London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”
This is where he met Aden Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he established the International Player Pathway program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable guys,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to train younger players from around the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”
Transitioning to NFL Coaching
Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called out of the blue,” he says. “They had a hybrid role supporting younger players, maximising efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with medical staff, the coach and general manager. It’s a really active position, which is perfect for me. My background was working with international athletes who had not played the sport. Rookie rookies also have to build structure and schedules: learning to look after their health and deal with a massive playbook. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical everywhere. And I enjoy that.”
Is being an Englishman who did not play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a perceived barrier than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the same things and need help in the same ways. If players understand you can assist them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or how you speak. And when players know that you care, all the rest fades.”
Benefits of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble
Coming from outside the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are genuinely curious. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have staff from various origins, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”
The NFL has been more successful at producing foreign fans than developing foreign players. Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Sydney who won the championship recently with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have risen to the very top.
International Players and Their Journeys
International athletes have typically been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Bobby Howfield swapped playing up front for English clubs for being a placekicker for the Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby in England to the Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a special teams player and were not trained in the US college system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.
Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s youth team before discovering American football at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He competed in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was clearly not built for his preferred games, soccer and the sport, so took up American football in his teenage years. He impressed while playing for teams in Europe and Europe, as well as the national side, and was offered a place on the IPP in 2021.
The following year, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have periods on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is hasn’t had game time on the gridiron. Is being a international player still a hurdle?
“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 speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very welcoming culture, a excellent squad, a great franchise.”
Although spending most of practice with his fellow linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Naturally the O-line is always close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – played receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: 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 symbolizes more than just his home countries. “I would say every nation beyond the US. The better every IPP graduate performs, the greater number of young people who play football in Europe, in Europe, wherever, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to experience what I’ve achieved.”
The program alumni are welcomed to the US each year to train the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back