These Athletes and Coaches Not Born in the United States
Although the United States is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is largely led by US-born athletes. Only five percent of players are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the sport by going to college in the US. Genuine outsiders are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.
James Cook’s Unlikely Path to the League
Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and never played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his dad and stumbled upon what he called a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating locally and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his dreams to attend college in the US were too expensive.
“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would switch my shifts and assist. 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 buy me lunch.”
It was here that he met Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP programme in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting guys,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from around the Pacific region to introduce them to college football, similar to what I had hoped to do.”
Making the Leap to NFL Coaching
Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, maximising time on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very hands-on role, which is ideal for me. My background was working with international athletes who had not played the sport. Rookie rookies also have to establish structure and routines: learning to take care of their body and handle a huge playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”
Does being an Brit who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a perceived barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the same things and need help in the identical ways. If players know you can assist them, they don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when players realize that you are invested, all the rest melts away.”
Advantages of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble
Coming from beyond 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 offensive linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. People are truly intrigued. NFL organizations are more diverse than many think. We have staff from various origins, a range of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”
The NFL has been more successful at producing international supporters than developing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player from Australia who won the championship earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.
International Players and Their Paths
International athletes have typically been kickers, recruited from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged playing up front for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a special teams player and were not trained in the American system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.
Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s academy before finding American football at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.
Maximilian Pircher’s story is equally improbable. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was obviously not built for his preferred games, soccer and the sport, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out while playing for clubs in Austria and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.
A year later, he held the championship trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is yet to see action on the gridiron. Is being a international player still a hurdle?
“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very inclusive culture, a excellent squad, a top organization.”
Despite spending most of training with his other linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Naturally the O-line is consistently close-knit because we are a group and united, but we have mates from every position group. My close friend, Landen 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 two years at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve got to be supportive.”
Inspiring the Next Generation
Pircher is aware he represents not only Italy and Austria. “I would say every nation outside the US. The better every IPP graduate does, the greater number of youth who participate in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”
The IPP graduates are welcomed to the US annually to train the next wave of potential NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back