These Athletes and Coaches Born Outside in the United States
While the US is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is largely dominated by American-born players. Only 5% of participants are foreign-born, and most of them step into the game by attending college in the United States. Genuine outsiders are rare, and foreign coaches are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s story remarkable.
Cook’s Surprising Path to the League
For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible considering he was raised in England, is in his twenties, and never participated in professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “strange and amazing” game. He began participating in his area and quickly wanted to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his plans to attend university in the US proved financially prohibitive.
“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people needed me, I would switch my shifts and help out. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they trained with players, I’d show up around London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”
This is where he encountered Aden Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP programme in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Falcons, making history as the first British permanent coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable players,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I went to Down Under to work with younger players from around the Pacific region to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”
Transitioning to NFL Coaching
Similar to Durde before him, Cook made the jump from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position 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 ideal for me. My experience was guiding international athletes who had never played the game. First-year rookies also have to establish structure and routines: how to take care of their body and handle a huge playbook. But also just being present for players. 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 hurdle than an real one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style comments and many players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and require support in the identical ways. If players understand you can assist them, they don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when people realize that you are invested, all the other stuff fades.”
Benefits of Coming From Beyond the US System
Originating from beyond the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we left, one of our linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and form friendships. People are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are varied than many think. We have staff from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra 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 attracting international supporters than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player from Sydney who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.
International Players and Their Paths
International athletes have typically been specialists, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for being a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and did not trained in the US college system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.
Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s youth team before discovering the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He competed in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.
Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At over two meters and heavyweight, the from Italy was obviously not suited for his preferred games, football and handball, so took up the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while playing for clubs in Europe 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 member of the LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the periphery at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in each team but is yet to see action on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?
“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they ask: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a really inclusive culture, a great squad, a great franchise.”
Despite spending the majority of training with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a unit and united, but we have mates from every position group. My close friend, Akers – my best man, actually – was a receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”
Motivating the Future
Pircher is conscious he symbolizes more than just his home countries. “I would say all the countries beyond the US. The better every IPP graduate does, the greater number of young people who participate in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”
The program alumni are welcomed to the US annually to train the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us return
