These Players and Coaches Not Born in the United States
While the United States is a nation of newcomers, the NFL is largely led by American-born athletes. Only 5% of participants are born abroad, and most of them enter the sport by going to university in the United States. True outsiders are rare, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which renders James Cook’s story exceptional.
James Cook’s Unlikely Journey 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 twenties, and never participated in professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his dad and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” game. He started playing locally and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL QB from Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his dreams to go to university in the US were too expensive.
“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people 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 show up around London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”
This is where he encountered Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the 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, coaching some remarkable guys,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I went to Down Under to work with younger players from across the Pacific to introduce them to the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”
Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL
Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, maximising time on the practice field, collaborating with physios, the coach and general manager. It’s a really hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with international athletes who had never played the game. Rookie newcomers also have to build habits and schedules: learning to take care of their health and deal with a massive game plan. But also just being present for guys. That’s the identical everywhere. And I enjoy that.”
Is being an Englishman who never compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a imagined barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style comments and many players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and need help in the same ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care where you’re from or what accent. And when people realize that you are invested, all the rest fades.”
Benefits of Being Outside the NFL Bubble
Originating from outside the American football world has its advantages. “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 form friendships. People are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are varied than many think. We have staff from various origins, a range of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”
The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who won the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.
Foreign Athletes and Their Paths
International athletes have typically been kickers, brought in from other football codes. Howfield swapped playing up front for English clubs for being a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and were not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.
Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Steelers.
Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At over two meters and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not built for his favoured sports, soccer and the sport, so started the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while representing teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the national side, and was given a spot on the IPP in 2021.
A year later, he held the championship trophy as a member of the LA Rams training team. Pircher went on to have spells on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in each team 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,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they ask: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very welcoming culture, a great team, a top organization.”
Despite devoting most of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is consistently close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from all positions. My best friend, Akers – my best man, in fact – played receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for two years at the Rams. QBs, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”
Motivating the Future
Pircher is conscious he symbolizes not only Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries beyond the US. The better each one of us performs, the greater number of young people who participate in Italy, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”
The IPP graduates are all invited to the US each year to train the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us return
